I found this while doing a close inspection today. There is also a low branch with a tip nibbled off. The trees were encircled with wire fencing prior to fully fencing in this area and I’ve spotted bunnies that have made their way inside (I’m securing it better today). It’s possible that a deer jumped in, though we have fairly low pressure this time of year and my trail cam didn’t pick anything up. I’m just a little surprised because the rabbits are feasting well this time of year and ignored my unprotected trees during leaner times. No other trees have any damage.
Is this damage recoverable or should I add a new Arkansas Black to my list for fall?
My William’s Pride sustained this damage last year and is currently doing fine, great fruit set as well. It’s lifespan might be reduced but as long as it’s seemingly healthy and making apples I’ll leave it in.
I would just apply something to seal it up like pruning sealer.
It can easily repair this damage which appears to be less than 1/3 the circumference. So keep and protect
Dennis
Kent, wa
Put some of those spiral fruit tree guards around them and maybe a wire/plastic bigger surrounding guard as well. Just a suggestion. I had some odd damage and I used the tree guards and all my trees made it.
i concur, it looks like sunscald to me too. tree guards are de rigueur here. i dont use deer cages but if i did id still protect the trunks. we dont have rabbits here, but the voles are epic some years.
dont sweat the damage. it shouldn’t set the tree back noticeably. if that is the south side of the trunk, you might consider applying white interior latex paint diluted 1/2 with water before winter to prevent further issues.
Yes it was wind damage. Not sunscald, I protect all my trees in the winter. We had a derecho come through here last year and all my trees sustained some trunk damage. My 1st year trees were bent at almost 90% in the wind. I lost 2 apple trees and of the ones that survived the William’s Pride got the worst damage. Since then I’ve staked all my trees on dwarfing rootstock. Lesson learned.
My first year planting new whips, rabbit eat the trunks that looked a lot like your pictures. Some survived and some died. I learned a lesson though… now every new tree gets a trunk guard and field fence cage secured by two t-pots to deter rabbits and deer.
That’s so interesting to me. This tree was covered by a 3 foot diameter by 4 foot tall poultry garden fence ring and pretty shaded by overgrown grass until a week ago when we put a full deer fence in. It is the south side… but this particular tree is actually getting a little more shade than I’d like due to an overhanging norway maple I’m going to ask my husband to cut. It is definitely possible that the damage was unnoticed for a long while by me, though.
It can’t hurt to protect the trunks better in the future; it sounds like a smart move regardless of the source of damage. Thank you.
i could definitely be wrong, but to me the tell is in the perimeter of the damage. gnawing should create a defined irregular edge. Sunscald/SW injury on the other hand would look ragged and undefined.
look at the margin of this vole damage for an example of what i mean. notice theres no flap or bark left, and the edge is both well defined and not linear. also note the visible teeth marks
Since sunscald is an issue that usually happens in the winter, the shade from the Norway maple wouldn’t really be a factor. all you need are cold temps combined with low sun angle, and the bark will tend to expand suddenly where the sun hits it, causing it to slip and split. Note the long fissure at the bottom of the wound on your tree and the ragged loose bark that is still attached.
