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The peeling of the bark of an apple tree is associated with a variety of reasons. Very often trees suffer from temperature changes in winter. This is a relatively normal phenomenon, after which the cortex recovers on its own. Peeling can also occur due to pests, diseases and care errors. To treat, you need to determine the cause and take appropriate measures.
Why does the bark come off the trunk of an apple tree?
The reasons that the bark on an apple tree dies and comes off in scales are very often associated with diseases or pests, including rodents. Although detachment may also be due to improper care. Often these factors overlap each other, resulting in quite serious problems. To deal with them, you first need to determine the cause.
Fungal diseases
If mold forms under the bark, this indicates that the apple tree is damaged by mycelium of one or another type of fungus. This case of detachment is considered one of the most dangerous, since it is fraught with the death of the apple tree in a relatively short time.Therefore, it is necessary to immediately begin treatment with powerful fungicides (folk remedies will not help).
Pests
Certain pests - wood borers or bark beetles - can also cause peeling of the bark of an apple tree. Some sources indicate that these are the same type of beetle. Although in fact, bark beetles are more massive in size, and their body is closer to a rectangular shape. At the same time, in woodworms it is oval and not so large.
The beetles thrive in cool weather (+18-20 °C) and provided that the wood is sufficiently damp. Insects can be detected visually, since they are quite large and reach 3-4.5 mm. The color is brown with dark dots and stripes running along the body. Larvae crawl, adult insects fly because they have wings. Both are active at night, and in the morning they prefer to hide in the bark layer.
Bark beetles are dangerous pests that can lead to rejection of the surface layer
Damage by rodents
Among the rodents that cause bark peeling, the most dangerous are brown hares and field mice.
They feed on the top layer of wood in early autumn. This leads to frost damage to tissues, which causes even more damage than the pests themselves. Therefore, for prevention, it is necessary to protect the lower part of the trunk by whitewashing and installing a chain-link mesh around it.
Temperature changes
Temperature fluctuations have a bad effect on even the most winter-hardy varieties of apple trees. For example, if in winter or early spring it warms up to zero degrees, after which the temperature drops sharply to -15 °C or more, this can also lead to peeling of the bark of apple trees.
As a result, so-called frost holes with characteristic “shaggy edges” are formed on the surface.After removing the damaged area, the underlying layers of wood are visible, which also makes it possible to reliably confirm the cause associated with temperature changes.
Sunburn
Sometimes sunburn can lead to peeling of the bark on an apple tree. At the same time, they contribute not only to the death of the surface layer, but also cause a change in color - it becomes purple or red. The dried layer gives a uniform brown color. The stronger the burn, the deeper it affects the bark of the apple tree, which leads to its peeling and death.
Excess nitrogen fertilizers
If the bark of an apple tree has come off and the wood is exposed, an indirect cause may be an excess of nitrogen fertilizers. This element leads to increased growth of different parts of the plant. But if you give it in large quantities, especially in the second half of summer, it will significantly reduce the frost resistance of the tree. In winter, it can suffer greatly, especially with temperature changes. The main impact will be on the bark and young growth of last year.
Excess nitrogen fertilizers and unbalanced watering can lead to detachment.
Improper care
Improper care can be either an independent cause or an additional factor in combination, for example, with pests or temperature changes.Most often, the following agricultural technology errors lead to bark peeling:
- Lack of preventive treatments against diseases and pests.
- There is no covering of the trunk with roofing felt or other material from rodents.
- Excessive watering contributes to fungal diseases.
- Unbalanced feeding, including excess nitrogen, also leads to peeling of the bark.
How to restore bark on an apple tree after peeling
It is necessary to remove the peeled bark of apple trees and clean the affected area to healthy tissue using a tool or sandpaper. Then it is recommended to cover it with garden pitch, resin, paraffin or fat (in this case, paint should not be used under any circumstances).
Next, treatment begins. Specific methods depend on the cause of the cortical detachment lesion:
- If mold and other fungi are detected, they are treated with fungicides. You can use the following drugs: “Bordeaux mixture”, “Fundazol”, “Tattu”, “HOM”, “Ridomil Gold”, “Fitosporin” and others.
- If bark beetles or other pests are found that have led to peeling, begin spraying with insecticides, for example: “Confidor”, “Karbofos”, “Inta-Vir”, “Agravertin”, “Tanrek” and others.
- In the case of frost holes, a clay mash is prepared: manure, lime and clay (1: 1: 3). The putty is evenly distributed over the surface so that the layer is not very thick.
- You can also use a different composition of putty based on fatty clay (200 g) and finishing putty (100 g) against frost damage. Both components are thoroughly mixed until a mixture with the consistency of fatty sour cream is obtained. Then applied to the previously cleaned area of delamination.
- If a bark defect is observed at the neck of the tree (i.e.in the area of the trunk, closer to the ground), it is necessary to prepare a highly concentrated infusion of wood ash (200 g per 1 liter of warm water). A rag is dipped in it and tied as a “compress” to the affected part of the apple tree.
- If there is not only peeling of the surface, but also blackening (the branches seem to be scorched by fire), the apple tree cannot be helped, since it is affected by black cancer. In this case, you can try to save at least the cuttings, but it’s better not to risk it. It is advisable to buy new seedlings.
- If the peeling of the apple tree bark is accompanied by rotting, then after stripping it is treated with fungicides, and then allowed to dry and coated with garden varnish. Instead, you can use natural drying oil (but not paints based on it).
If the bark peels off, you need to clean the affected area and treat it with garden varnish.
What to do if the bark of young apple trees peels off
It is quite possible to cure the trunk of a young apple tree if the bark has fallen off, especially in the early stages, when the deeper layers of the wood have not been damaged. Most often, young seedlings and trees suffer from voles, brown hares, as well as from sunburn and frost damage. Moreover, the affected areas do not require treatment as such, since they will recover on their own. To prevent the occurrence of defects in the future, it is recommended to follow these rules of care:
- Every spring, whiten the lower part of the trunk to a height of at least 30 cm.
- In early spring, the trunk is protected with a fragment of chain-link mesh. Instead, you can wrap it with dense material, for example, burlap, stockings, nylon tights, roofing felt. Even old plastic bottles will do.
- If winters in the region are harsh, carefully mulch the plantings with sawdust, manure, and hay.It is better to wrap the trunk of a young seedling with agrofibre, burlap or thick paper.
Prevention of detachment
Treating an apple tree if the bark has come off is always more difficult than preventing this phenomenon. Weather conditions do not depend on the gardener, but it is possible to provide fairly good care and protection from diseases and tree pests. Experienced gardeners recommend:
- Observe the watering norm, apply balanced fertilizer compositions without violating the norm.
- In the fall, it is necessary to cover up the bare trunk of the apple tree. To do this, use garden pitch or clay mash. It is necessary to cover the surface with putty even in case of “planned” damage after autumn pruning.
- Follow the norm for applying nitrogen and other fertilizers, remembering that it is better to underfeed a little than to overfeed. It is also important to take into account that nitrogen can be given only in spring and June, and from the beginning of July it is permissible to apply only superphosphate and potassium fertilizers.
- It is imperative to carry out preventive treatments with fungicides and insecticides, especially if in past seasons there have been massive insect infestations or fungal and bacterial infections.
- Foliage and pruned branches should be removed from the site as quickly as possible in the fall. Pests can overwinter in them, including bark beetles, which lead to peeling of the surface layer.
Every spring you need to whiten the trunks with lime
Conclusion
Peeling of the bark of an apple tree can occur due to improper care, diseases and pests. Even if the cultivation technology is correct, the condition of the trunk can be adversely affected by frosts and temperature changes. Therefore, you need to monitor the condition of the trees and, if necessary, begin treatment immediately.
