Hi,
We planted a new dogwood last spring and it made it over the winter and appears ready to bloom. Unfortunately, I discovered on closer inspection that the trunk is damaged and it looks pretty bad to me. I can't imagine how the tree is still living. Can someone give me some opinions on what the problem is from and what I should do about it?
Thanks,
:-)
Likely causes:
1. Sunscald (probably on the southwest side)
2. Deer rub
3. Canker (possibly resulting from #1 or #2 above)
In any case, it appears to be old damage from last summer and has some callus growth ("healing") in progress. If it is a canker, you may see additional dieback along the recovering edges of the wound. Otherwise, keep it vigorous with proper mulching, watering, and total weed control throughout the area shaded by the branches and it should recover.
Guy S.
Looks like the dirty work of a Bambi to me.
I'm parting ways with the midwest denizens that don't see as many dogwoods in this condition.
I believe you currently have a borer damage condition, which may have been brought on by some other previous damage. Do you perform any weed control around this plant?
To control borers, you need some systemic insecticide or some topical insecticide applied to the bark PRIOR to insect emergence. Contact your Cooperative Extension Service for chemical recommendations. Former chemicals (that I don't believe are currently available anymore) were Lindane and Dursban. I don't know what is now labeled for control of these seriously troublesome pests of stressed dogwoods.
Reason why I don't think it was deer damage: you probably would have noticed that soon after it happened. It is not subtle.
Reason why I don't think it was sunscald: the sun angle in the picture (April) has to be south and/or west. This damage is the reverse side, which probably never sees sun.
There is also a peculiar lone hole at the topmost area of damage, which sure looks like it may have a shed skin/pupa of a borer larva. Someone who is entomologically oriented, or who has better eyes, might look at that more closely.
Newly planted dogwoods (Cornus florida) are one of the most prone to insect damage. Any stress sets them up for borer attack: drought stress, improper planting, scuffed bark from handling, damaged bark from improper Roundup spraying, etc. etc. etc.
I vote for all the things Guy mentioned to coax your plant out of its current condition, as well as treating for any insect pest that is ID'd.
I suspect another culprit. The string trimmer dammage at the bottom of the tree is evident and the bark is diseased by "fun-guy" that have interceded this last fall and let the bark pull away with the first frost. Please note that "I am no expert" Steve.
Hello,
Thanks so much, I really appreciate your willingness to help me figure this out. :-)
I can see I didn't give you enough information and I apologize. This tree is a Dogwood rutgers hybrid. We bought it late last spring after blooming time, and planted it. We watered it all through that long hot summer last year. It is located in the southwest corner of our yard, but it is north of a huge silver maple tree that is probably 50 years old. It is in shade most of the day with only 2 hours maybe of direct sun and filtered sun at some points during the rest of the day. We live in a very developed area of 1/4 acre lots and have never seen a deer nor do I expect to. We also have a fully fenced in back yard although the fence in the back is only 4ft high. We do have a number of pesky squirrels that are always doing something in the yard. Also saw my first chipmunk last year. We have skunks sometimes and maybe a mole family recently moved in. Something dug up around the base of the tree where we planted new crocus bulbs last fall. We planted them very shallow..the recommended 3 inches, and there are little indentations where they were and no bulbs.
We also have another tree, a Japanese Maple Bloodgood that is about 7 yrs old, that has similar looking damage. I am attaching a photo. We are organic growers and use no chemicals in the yard, and don't use string trimmers. We don't trim grass period. The only other info I can think of to include is that we did have our first ever infestation of winter moths in the surrounding maple trees, but this dogwood was not effected. The Japanese maple was though.
I am sure the damage was not there when I bought it, as I always inspect everything carefully. I would have noticed even the smallest nick on the bark from mishandling and would have chosen another one. Since this tree is less than a year old, is there a chance the nursery where I got it would replace it?
Thank you all very much.
:-)
OK, rule out deer (lucky you!) and string trimmers. Regarding sunscald, I don't have an answer unless it happened at the nursery or garden center prior to planting (entirely possible). Dead bark might not be noticeable at the nursery, and for some time thereafter, until it starts to peel. What side of each tree is affected -- north, southwest, or what? I don't see it as borers because it seems to be only on one side and it happened early last year, and the maple would not have the same borer problem -- but it could be. I still think it is a stress reaction from transplanting shock, heat, drought, early fall or late spring hard freeze during sap flow, deep planting, neighbor kid with a baseball bat, etc.
Anyway, the injuries are old, and both trees are forming callus and covering the damage. If you keep them vigorous and keep checking for insect signs, they should be OK. As long as your tree remains vigorous, I would rather do that than start over with a new tree. But it wouldn't hurt to point out the damage to the nursery, show them that it happened last year (possibly on their watch), and ask for a warrantee extension in case the thing takes a nosedive.
Guy S.
Also consider the plastic barrier that is high on the root crown as seen in the Maple photo. I can't see if the crown on the Dogwood is covered or not. This is a way to get the fungus (fun-guy) into the bark. I had this happen to one of my Autumn Blaze maples after I over watered and planted too deep. It was in my yard and I had to raise the root ball when it started.
Hi Guy,
The damage is on the north side of the tree on both trees actually. Both of these trees have had no injury from contact with the tree. They are both in a fenced in back yard with no children or pets accessing the backyard. Yes, we did have that long spell of dry weather last year, but we had soaker hoses around the tree and watered them faithfully last summer.
How can you tell it happened last year? I imagine I will be having some problems again with winter moths, especially on the Japanese maple. I can't imagine the tree recovering from this. Will it grow a new bark over it?
Thanks very much, I guess I will try contacting the nursery that sold it to me and see what happens. I will let you know how that works out.
prairie
It happened early enough last year to alow for substantial callus growth during the summer, so I'm guessing it happened in early spring, or the previous winter, or even earlier. The north side is not where you would expect to see sunscald, nor unseasonable freeze damage. But yes, many trees do just fine after recovering from this type of damage at such a young age.
I'm also wondering about the plastic that Steve pointed out. Is it being used as a mulch barrier? (Very bad idea.) Was it wrapping the rootball and not removed prior to planting? (Even worse!) And like he also mentioned, is the dogwood planted at the right level? Dogwoods are about THE MOST sensitive of all common landscape trees to being planted too deeply.
Guy S.
Is that wire on the right side of the Japanese maple? I hope it's not what I suspect - wire holding the plastic wrap on. That would girdle the trunk eventually killing it. Not only should the plastic have been removed but also any string, wire, or synthetic material. Natural burlap is the only material that can be left in place since it will eventually rot and also allows roots to grow through the material.
I wrapped Xmas lights on my Japanese maple using lightweight aluminum wire to hold it in place. I left it on there for months when I noticed that the bark had grown over several places of the wire. Luckily I saw this and cut any wire still exposed so it wouldn't girdle the branches but parts of the wire had now become part of the tree.
Hi again,
No, that particular japanese maple was planted 7 yrs ago as a $25. potted plant and was taken out of the pot and planted. It was not bare root or burlapped. The plastic is a weed barrier that was layed under bark mulch. It is not wrapped around anything and there is no wire there at all. Are you looking at lose branches or stems on the ground? That mulch barrier was laid a long time ago, maybe just after the tree was planted and was not laid that close to the tree. I think the tree grew up under it.
That probably is a branch in the picture (on the right side around ground level of the Japanese maple picture) but it also looked like wire which is why I asked. Glad to hear it wasn't wire.
I googled for sunscald and found this interesting site.
http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/suffolk/grownet/tree-disease/brk-splt.html
