scorched bark on my leyland cyress trees - Ask Extension
Due to several heavy snow/wind storms this past winter, my leyland cypress trees were knocked down (they were planted in the past 2 years). It was nec...
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scorched bark on my leyland cyress trees #451327
Asked May 03, 2018, 9:01 AM EDT
Due to several heavy snow/wind storms this past winter, my leyland cypress trees were knocked down (they were planted in the past 2 years). It was necessary to prop them up using 4 x 4 landscape ties. At the point of contact, the edge of the 4 x 4's tore of some bark. Q: How do I treat the areas where the bark has been torn off?
Nassau County New York
Expert Response
Thank you for your question. The answer is ‘remarkably little.’ Trees are remarkably resilient and, left to their own devices, will heal, much the same as a human wound. Regardless of the source of the injury, monitoring for insects and infection is the long term plan. Here’s a Cornell Extension about bark splitting, with suggestions on care of your trees: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/barksplitting.pdf
Good luck!