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When all the snow melted away yesterday ( yipee ) … I found that the mice (I assume) had chewed the bark off all the way around my 5″ diameter flower grab tree. The “girdled” a section about 6″ high all the way around, starting at a point about 4″ above ground level.
So any tree experts out there?
From what I’ve read, the thing will likely die. Seems like my only hope is to graft branch sections above and below the effected area, in a ring around the tree. Seems like a lot of effort … is it going to have a ghost of a chance of paying off? If so, when should I do it … now or a month from now or ??? I’m just a bit north of Milwaukee, WI.
P.S. — Now I know why the fox has been hanging around so close to my house.
I heard on a show on Wisconsin Public Radio about somebody who had the exact same problem. The tree expert on the radio pronounced the tree dead, right on the spot.
R.I.P.
Does this kind of tree make good firewood?
All deciduous trees should be wrapped with trunk tape from the ground to the first branches before winter and removed in spring. This should be done until the bark is no longer smooth or usually about 3″ in caliper. This will give you winter protection from rodents, frost crack and deer rubbing. Your tree will probably suffer some permanent damage from this mishap, but I would still quick wrap it and cross your fingers. It’s not dead until it’s dead. Don’t leave trunk tape on during warm weather or it will provide a nesting spot for insects and new problems. Also it is no longer recommended to use pruning paints or solutions. PM me if you have any further questions.
Mister Greenthumb (Bill)
Bill’s Landscape DesignWhile out hiding caches this weekend, I noticed alot of trees with the bark gnawed off. Murphy’s Law says, “Your tree will probably die, because you want it to live!” The ones I saw in the Great Outdoors will probably live because no one will notice if they die.
I believe there was a thread last year about “girdling” a tree to kill it. The layer of the tree just under the bark is what sends water and nutrients further up in the tree. If this layer is completely compromised, the tree dies.
So it also depends on how deep the little nibblers went. Wait and see is most likely the best thing to do now.I know that the Squirrels around here are going nuts biting the bark off of the shrubs and trees.
The grafting method does work. We were able to save a flowering crab using it and the tree is still alive and flowers yearly…30+ years later
I planted a cherry tree last year and was pretty concerned about the rodents girdling it. I was delighted to see that the bark was left alone, however it had three small branches gnawed off of it. The culprit(s) here-rabbits.
Usually once a tree is girdled it is as good as dead. The girdling though, has to be complete to the dead wood. If not, it will probably just prolong the enevitable. As far as grafting goes, I have never tried it, but it sounds pretty good to me. It surely wouldn’t hurt to try it.
We had a beautiful old crab in our yard when we bought this place. Once the mice had girdled it…..gone. I hope you can find help for yours.
I would guess that it was rabbits and the tree is doomed. 666 posts! Evil 😈
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