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I should know this but I don't and I'm sure you all will have opinions. We have a beautiful japanese maple only about 5 years old. Last year the deer did a real number on the bark rubbing it really down. I asked DH to wrap the damaged part but he decided to cut a piece of black corrugated flexible tubing-I think it is used in drainage spouts around the house. He slit one side and wrapped it around the trunk. The tree gets a lot of direct sun and my fear is that the black plastic will bake the poor tree. it has only been up through the winter months and now I want to remove it before it gets really hot. Suggestions?
I would remove the tubing...
If the trunk is not girdled all/most of the way, it has a chance: they are often more tough than they appear, once established and growing well over a several seasons.
If the bark has some edges/flaps sticking up, I would trim them back gently and carefully.
No wraps, no paint, no black tar trunk healing elixirs, et al...
Dunno if you have borer beetles in your area, but I would watch that rubbed trunk spot for borers, et al. Sawdust will be an indicator, but I wouldn't wring my hands 'watching'.
Our two dozen different varietals in NY lived through deer, bear, etc, rubbing, chewing and on and on for two+ decades.
Our dozen varietals we have now at 5,000 ft elev in the mtns of western NC have had their fannies kicked weather wise and red mtn squirrel wise, but we have only lost two in 12+ years, even with the usual annual hard freeze weekend in May, after budding.
If it is healthy and 'happy', it will heal itself; if not, it can be replaced.
My 50Cts on acer palmatum...
GL, mD
no kudzu,
Your not going to believe this, but the exact same thing happened to a baby
Japanese Maple of mine.
It was bit almost clear thru the bark.
I was devastated, but I just let it be.
I thought, well, its really young.
It pulled through, but the growth isn't right on it since.
It's extremely short, I don't know if it will ever grow tall.
It did heal itself, amazing! But now it is stunted.
The gorgeous red color on this tree is so beautiful, I will keep it anyway.
It is an Emperor 1, but hasn't grown up very much at all, oh well.
I would say you are right about not having anything on it for the summer.
It is still young, and will probably heal itself just right over the summer.
I love Japanese Maples, I think they are one of my very favorite trees.
I think mine is a Feather leaf Blood Red or something like that. It has very fine lacy leaves. We were trying to keep the deer from doing any more damage to it by putting the tubing around it. We will remove it and put up some sort of barrier to keep the long legged rats with antlers away. Lord how I hate deer.
As an alternative to something wrapped tightly around the trunk, try a loose cylinder of "hardware cloth" (wire or plastic mesh, similar to chicken wire). You can use twist ties or plastic cable ties to secure the ends to form the cylinder.
Around here (Colorado) you can get a "tree wrap" that is kind of like an ace bandage you wrap around the trunk, but its purpose is to protect young light-barked trees from winter sunburn and it has to come off in the spring so the trees can grow.
Ahhh, Japanese maples! I just returned from a visit to Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and they have a Japanese garden with the hugest Japanese maples you ever saw, all different kinds. I was in heaven. Beautiful Japanese dogwoods also, in bloom while I was there. Lovely. My daughter took a picture of one....I'll have to see how it turned out and maybe post it.
My little Autumn Moon guy is finally getting some height and fullness on him after, oh, probably 7 years. (I can't afford to buy the big ones!) So, butterfly, don't give up, yours may still grow normally....they are all pretty slow-growing anyway, I think.
we've removed the pipe and installed some plastic fencing about 4 feet tall to keep the deer away. Thanks to all for the ideas.
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