Japanese maple trunk damage - Ask Extension
Hi, I’m hoping you can help me understand what is happening to the trunk of my Japanese Maple and if I should wrap it or not for winter.
Knowledgebase
Japanese maple trunk damage #853437
Asked October 18, 2023, 4:27 PM EDT
Hi, I’m hoping you can help me understand what is happening to the trunk of my Japanese Maple and if I should wrap it or not for winter.
Wayne County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
Based on what I see in your images:
According to the Michigan State University Extension, a Japanese Maple tree's bark can peel off for various reasons, such as sunscald injury, frost cracks, drought stress, bacterial blights, and soil fungal pathogens.
Sunscald injury is caused by the sudden freezing of the warm tissue on the southwest side of the tree trunk when the sun sets or goes behind a cloud. This results in a vertical fissure down the center of the tree trunk, causing strips of bark to peel off, exposing the tree’s inner wood.
Frost cracks occur in winter when temperatures are below freezing, but the sun quickly warms the trunk. Drought stress can cause the bark to peel off and expose the tree’s inner wood. Bacterial blights and soil fungal pathogens can also contribute to dead wood/peeling bark.
You should probably cover the trunk for the winter, but it may be too late - let the arborist determine this.
There also appears to be a girdling root problem - let the arborist determine this.
It is highly advisable to have an arborist come out and verify the health of the tree. A wound on a tree trunk can become a pathway for diseases, insects, or decay, which can interfere with the movement of water and nutrients. The direct link to Find an Arborist in your zip code is
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/arboristsearch.
Resources:
Please read: Shedding, Peeling, and Splitting Bark on Shade Trees – Iowa State University at this link:
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/shedding-peeling-and-splitting-bark-shade-trees
Please read: Diagnosing Bark Splitting Problems: Part One - By Dr. Hannah Mathers, an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus. At this link:
https://horttrades.com/diagnosing-bark-splitting-problems-part-one
I hope this information helps.
Based on what I see in your images:
According to the Michigan State University Extension, a Japanese Maple tree's bark can peel off for various reasons, such as sunscald injury, frost cracks, drought stress, bacterial blights, and soil fungal pathogens.
Sunscald injury is caused by the sudden freezing of the warm tissue on the southwest side of the tree trunk when the sun sets or goes behind a cloud. This results in a vertical fissure down the center of the tree trunk, causing strips of bark to peel off, exposing the tree’s inner wood.
Frost cracks occur in winter when temperatures are below freezing, but the sun quickly warms the trunk. Drought stress can cause the bark to peel off and expose the tree’s inner wood. Bacterial blights and soil fungal pathogens can also contribute to dead wood/peeling bark.
You should probably cover the trunk for the winter, but it may be too late - let the arborist determine this.
There also appears to be a girdling root problem - let the arborist determine this.
It is highly advisable to have an arborist come out and verify the health of the tree. A wound on a tree trunk can become a pathway for diseases, insects, or decay, which can interfere with the movement of water and nutrients. The direct link to Find an Arborist in your zip code is
https://www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist/arboristsearch.
Resources:
Please read: Shedding, Peeling, and Splitting Bark on Shade Trees – Iowa State University at this link:
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/shedding-peeling-and-splitting-bark-shade-trees
Please read: Diagnosing Bark Splitting Problems: Part One - By Dr. Hannah Mathers, an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus. At this link:
https://horttrades.com/diagnosing-bark-splitting-problems-part-one
I hope this information helps.
