Got Bark?

Wachtel Tree Science is committed to innovation in keeping your tree(s) healthy and happy. This year we are celebrating 90 years of doing so! Employee education through industry-related conferences keeps us up to date with research and opinions on tree care that may be outside our normal professional circles. It was at just such a conference that I was introduced to the research of Professor Dirk Dujesiefken, and how we may assist a tree’s response to surface level wounding.

The concept is this: if a tree has been damaged where bark has been removed or loosened from the trunk, but living tissues remain in the wound area, there is potential for these living tissues to multiply and cover the wound area. Research has shown that keeping the impacted area moist and blocked from harmful UV-ray degradation can help stimulate the living tissues to rapidly grow and cover the wound. Protecting the impacted area is accomplished by covering the wound with opaque plastic wrap that is secured in place with tacks, staples, or tape.

Response timing is critical when performing this type of treatment. Best results to preserve any living tissue that remains within an impacted area occur when the treatment is applied WITHIN 10 DAYS. Once the treatment is applied, it must remain on the tree for a full growing season (April – October). If a tree is wounded in November, the treatment should be applied and can be removed the following October. If a tree is wounded in May, the treatment should be applied and can be removed later that same year.

The research into this wound treatment goes back to the mid-1990’s and has continued through the mid-2010’s. It has been widely adopted through European tree care but is still relatively new to us. As the manager of our consulting services, I am looking for up to 10 willing participants (first come, first served) so we can determine if this is a service we can reliably replicate. Here is my request for you, our client: If a tree on your property has been damaged where bark has been removed from the trunk (e.g. vehicle strikes or wildlife damage) and you are almost certainly sure the damage has occurred WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, please call your sales arborist immediately.

We would like to perform this service for your trees and monitor how the tree responds over the following year. In doing so, we may evolve the way we keep your trees healthy and happy for many more years. Thank You!

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