Oak tree bark cracked and peeling off - Ask Extension
I have a 10-year old live oak that looks healthy but the bark is cracking and separating from the tree. The tree forks and one fork is fine but the ...
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Oak tree bark cracked and peeling off #288420
Asked November 02, 2015, 2:31 PM EST
I have a 10-year old live oak that looks healthy but the bark is cracking and separating from the tree. The tree forks and one fork is fine but the other fork has cracked bark all over. Someone suggested it may have ganoderma. Is there a fix or will this tree eventually die? If it will die, how long does that take? Right now the leaves are full and green. Thanks.
Duval County Florida
Expert Response
Thank you for the question. Depending upon water quality, quantity and location, your tree may have become predisposed to problems caused by environmental stresses such as drought & frost.
If there are cracks under the bark on the Southern or Southwestern side of the tree, there is a some probability that the damage was caused by a rapid change in temperature (frost cracks).
When the living tissue just beneath the bark is injured and dies it may become incapable of holding the bark in place. This does not mean that the tree will die. It may just be weakened yet still able to compartmentalize the problem and continue living.
There is little you can do about the cracks.Your best bet is to maintain the tree in as healthy a state as possible. This may require you to make a few adjustments to your landscape or the way you care for your tree. Adapted trees often do not require any special fertilization as a result of injury.
You should irrigate only when necessary. This is best performed by first feeling the soil and if it is dry to the touch in the top few inches then it is probably OK to water.
If the tree is planted too deeply, you may be able to reduce the severity of the associated problems by excavating about a foot out from the stem and down to the top of the first large roots. You can refill it with organic mulch (not compost) or simply leave this area open so that air can penetrate to the root crown easily.
Finally, your tree may perform better if you attempted to create a soil environment that closely mimicked its natural habitat. Most trees remain healthier and live longer when their root system is covered with an organic mulch such as wood chips rather than inorganic mulches such as rocks. Organic mulches are attractive and slowly break down into nutrients for the tree while allowing air and water to easily penetrate without increasing the tree's exposure to heat.
I hope this helps a little.
If there are cracks under the bark on the Southern or Southwestern side of the tree, there is a some probability that the damage was caused by a rapid change in temperature (frost cracks).
When the living tissue just beneath the bark is injured and dies it may become incapable of holding the bark in place. This does not mean that the tree will die. It may just be weakened yet still able to compartmentalize the problem and continue living.
There is little you can do about the cracks.Your best bet is to maintain the tree in as healthy a state as possible. This may require you to make a few adjustments to your landscape or the way you care for your tree. Adapted trees often do not require any special fertilization as a result of injury.
You should irrigate only when necessary. This is best performed by first feeling the soil and if it is dry to the touch in the top few inches then it is probably OK to water.
If the tree is planted too deeply, you may be able to reduce the severity of the associated problems by excavating about a foot out from the stem and down to the top of the first large roots. You can refill it with organic mulch (not compost) or simply leave this area open so that air can penetrate to the root crown easily.
Finally, your tree may perform better if you attempted to create a soil environment that closely mimicked its natural habitat. Most trees remain healthier and live longer when their root system is covered with an organic mulch such as wood chips rather than inorganic mulches such as rocks. Organic mulches are attractive and slowly break down into nutrients for the tree while allowing air and water to easily penetrate without increasing the tree's exposure to heat.
I hope this helps a little.
I live in Florida so cold weather is generally not a problem. Should I remove the peeling bark from the tree? Thanks.
I don't recommend removing the bark. Unfortunately there is very little that can be done except to monitor the tree for safety hazards (ie. potential failure or large limbs dropping on targets) and ensure that proper maintenance practices are being followed.
Too often, tree owners try so hard to save a tree that they inadvertently cause more injury or input more resources than the actual value of the tree may justify. Trees are biologically adapted to recover from serious injuries without any help from people and will as long as the cause of the injury isn't chronic.
I recommend that you log onto the following website and search for a certified arborist in your area; Find an arborist.
Too often, tree owners try so hard to save a tree that they inadvertently cause more injury or input more resources than the actual value of the tree may justify. Trees are biologically adapted to recover from serious injuries without any help from people and will as long as the cause of the injury isn't chronic.
I recommend that you log onto the following website and search for a certified arborist in your area; Find an arborist.
