Death by weed whacker: will this sapling survive? - Ask Extension
Our neighbor's landscaping company decided to 'care' for our lawn, too, and absolutely butchered the base of our peach tree sapling with a weed whacke...
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Death by weed whacker: will this sapling survive? #811937
Asked September 23, 2022, 11:20 AM EDT
Our neighbor's landscaping company decided to 'care' for our lawn, too, and absolutely butchered the base of our peach tree sapling with a weed whacker. The outer bark is entirely stripped around the trunk. Is there anything that can be done to help this tree survive?
The tree is planted in full sun. We planted it in late Spring. It is approximately 8' tall and, at the time of damage, was thriving.
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
Bark and trunk damage can be serious depending on how much sapwood (vital tissues which lie just underneath the bark) is exposed and then invaded by wood-decay organisms before it can seal-over. Trees do have defense mechanisms that can help block decay internally even if external measures fail, but that won't be visible from the outside, so it's hard to say if this will happen in this situation. Either type of "healing" will take time. We can't tell how serious this damage is yet, but evidence of its impacts might be seen soon enough (either this autumn or next spring) if or when the tree doesn't leaf-out or retain leaves for long. (Leaf drop this time of year is to be expected so won't be a reliable indicator.)
For the future, we suggest that any tree surrounded by lawn be encircled with a ring of mulch. Not only does this keep the lawn roots further from the tree's so they don't compete as much, but it will reduce the risk of accidental mower strikes (by anyone) by creating a buffer of space that won't need mowing or weed-whacking. Trunk wrap materials exist that serve as a protection against wounding, but are less beneficial than mulching overall because they don't benefit the soil (as decaying mulch would over time) and won't easily fit around larger trunks as the tree ages. Make sure mulch doesn't cover the trunk base itself (don't use a "mulch volcano" the way some poorly-trained landscapers do) and extend it at least a foot or two out in all directions from the trunk. A flat layer of about two inches of bark or wood chip mulch is enough to suppress most weeds. As the tree matures, extend the mulched zone further because its roots are now reaching further from its trunk.
There is nothing you can do for now except to give the tree time and see how it fares. No wound treatment is recommended because such coatings might actually worsen the situation. Trees don't heal the same way we do, so there is no salve to use, nor would fertilizer be of any benefit at this point. Just keep monitoring it for watering needs as you normally would, checking the soil about six inches deep near its roots and watering well only when it's becoming relatively dry to the touch at that depth. This can continue until the soil starts to freeze later this autumn, because we have occasionally had abnormally dry spells in fall in recent years.
Worst-case in the event this tree dies and needs to be replaced, or for the planting of future trees, we recommend exploring our Planting a Tree or Shrub page. We mention this because it looks like the peach may have been planted too deeply, in which case it may be struggling in upcoming seasons. Planting depth affects root health, and a surprisingly little change in soil depth atop roots can impact how easily they can access needed oxygen. Planting too deep can also trigger the excessive production of suckers, which are growths coming directly off the root system; not a desirable trait for most trees, either aesthetically or health-wise. The root flare -- the point on the trunk where roots begin to emerge and flare out -- should sit just at the soil surface. We don't see this tree's flare, though it's not necessarily obvious as a flared point on young trees. Still, the graft union on grafted trees (which includes most fruit trees) is often located a few inches above the root flare. The graft union tends to have a knobby, knuckle-like look in that it's often slightly swollen and usually gives the trunk a slight kink where the two points are joined. Since the peach's graft union looks like it's fairly close to the ground in the photos, that's one reason we suspect the tree might be too deep.
Miri
For the future, we suggest that any tree surrounded by lawn be encircled with a ring of mulch. Not only does this keep the lawn roots further from the tree's so they don't compete as much, but it will reduce the risk of accidental mower strikes (by anyone) by creating a buffer of space that won't need mowing or weed-whacking. Trunk wrap materials exist that serve as a protection against wounding, but are less beneficial than mulching overall because they don't benefit the soil (as decaying mulch would over time) and won't easily fit around larger trunks as the tree ages. Make sure mulch doesn't cover the trunk base itself (don't use a "mulch volcano" the way some poorly-trained landscapers do) and extend it at least a foot or two out in all directions from the trunk. A flat layer of about two inches of bark or wood chip mulch is enough to suppress most weeds. As the tree matures, extend the mulched zone further because its roots are now reaching further from its trunk.
There is nothing you can do for now except to give the tree time and see how it fares. No wound treatment is recommended because such coatings might actually worsen the situation. Trees don't heal the same way we do, so there is no salve to use, nor would fertilizer be of any benefit at this point. Just keep monitoring it for watering needs as you normally would, checking the soil about six inches deep near its roots and watering well only when it's becoming relatively dry to the touch at that depth. This can continue until the soil starts to freeze later this autumn, because we have occasionally had abnormally dry spells in fall in recent years.
Worst-case in the event this tree dies and needs to be replaced, or for the planting of future trees, we recommend exploring our Planting a Tree or Shrub page. We mention this because it looks like the peach may have been planted too deeply, in which case it may be struggling in upcoming seasons. Planting depth affects root health, and a surprisingly little change in soil depth atop roots can impact how easily they can access needed oxygen. Planting too deep can also trigger the excessive production of suckers, which are growths coming directly off the root system; not a desirable trait for most trees, either aesthetically or health-wise. The root flare -- the point on the trunk where roots begin to emerge and flare out -- should sit just at the soil surface. We don't see this tree's flare, though it's not necessarily obvious as a flared point on young trees. Still, the graft union on grafted trees (which includes most fruit trees) is often located a few inches above the root flare. The graft union tends to have a knobby, knuckle-like look in that it's often slightly swollen and usually gives the trunk a slight kink where the two points are joined. Since the peach's graft union looks like it's fairly close to the ground in the photos, that's one reason we suspect the tree might be too deep.
Miri
Thank you for your response. I really appreciate how quick yet thorough it is. We'll take a wait-and-see approach before replacing the peach.
I also appreciate the nudge about plant depth. I am very aware that mounding is inappropriate, but didn't know the opposite could also be true. The root ball isn't too deep, maybe 1", 2" at most, but it sounds like that's off the mark. If I were to transplant at the appropriate depth (but otherwise in the same location), would doing so be traumatic right now, given the recent weed-whacker damage?
In the meantime, we'll create a mulch bed around the tree -and others in our yard- to prevent this from happening again. I had always assumed the beds around trees were aesthetic, and we weren't interested in maintaining new beds just for that purpose. We appreciate the knowledge.
Robi
Hello Robi,
We can't predict if transplanting to correct depth now would be too much of a stressor on the peach or not, but given that waiting until spring or so likely won't matter a great deal in that regard, you might want to wait to see if the tree looks viable at that point before proceeding. If you prefer to replant it now instead, then we suggest doing so very soon (in the next couple of weeks, ideally) so it has plenty of time to re-establish roots.
Miri
We can't predict if transplanting to correct depth now would be too much of a stressor on the peach or not, but given that waiting until spring or so likely won't matter a great deal in that regard, you might want to wait to see if the tree looks viable at that point before proceeding. If you prefer to replant it now instead, then we suggest doing so very soon (in the next couple of weeks, ideally) so it has plenty of time to re-establish roots.
Miri
