Big Chunk of Bark Came off at Root Flare of Mature Honey locust - Ask Extension
Hi, Recently a big chunk of bark came off my mature (~50 years) honey locust tree right at the base of the trunk around the root flare. I have attach...
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Big Chunk of Bark Came off at Root Flare of Mature Honey locust #866949
Asked May 03, 2024, 6:04 PM EDT
Hi,
Recently a big chunk of bark came off my mature (~50 years) honey locust tree right at the base of the trunk around the root flare.
I have attached pictures of the tree and some of the bits of bark that came off. I am wondering if there is any action I should take and how serious this threat is to the tree.
Thanks!
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
I forgot to mention - I do not believe there has been any mechanical damage to cause this.
This might be caused from putting mulch up against the base of the tree; causing too much wetness, rot. When using mulch , which is good for retaining moisture, pull back from base 6" . You could paint the exposed are to possibly keep further damage. Are you seeing any possible symptoms from this damage, i.e leave yellowing, branch decay? You might have a certified arborist look at.
Rick,
We want to amend our earlier recommendation about painting the exposed area. While it used to be a common practice to paint pruning and mechanical wounds, we now advise against it because research has shown it can interfere with wound closure.
Another tip to avoid wounds like this in the future is removing the sod all the way around the base of the tree about 3' to 5' away from the trunk. That way, you don't accidently nick the bark with the mower or weed whacker, a common and damaging injury to trees that grow in mowed lawn areas.
We want to amend our earlier recommendation about painting the exposed area. While it used to be a common practice to paint pruning and mechanical wounds, we now advise against it because research has shown it can interfere with wound closure.
Another tip to avoid wounds like this in the future is removing the sod all the way around the base of the tree about 3' to 5' away from the trunk. That way, you don't accidently nick the bark with the mower or weed whacker, a common and damaging injury to trees that grow in mowed lawn areas.
