Has anyone come across this before? (irrigation, growing, fertilizer, 2015)

[Rickcin]

I noticed some strange bark removal notches on one of our viburnum shrubs and I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s very neat and symmetrical, almost decorative but it won’t look good when the shrub dies!

We do have voles that eat the grass roots in our back yard and have created lots of tunnels but don’t think this is a result of voles.

[Hemlock140]

There are several creatures including Deer, moose, rabbits, and beavers that like to eat Viburnum bark. Based on your picture I would consider rabbits to be the most likely suspects. I recently pruned my apple tree but before I picked up all of the cuttings the wild rabbits here gave some of them a similar appearance.

[L00k4ward]

A bird? Sapsuckers, etc.
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden...._Birds2271.jpg
https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=392097

https://blogs.mcall.com/master_garde...our-trees.html

Or hornet? The bald faced or European?

https://www.prestigestt.com/glossary...t-bark-damage/
https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers....ranch-girdler/


https://www.tnfw.org/nine-minute-nat...ge-phenomenon/
Depending where you are?

[Threestep2]

You may want to reach out to your County Extension office.

[Zoisite]

I haven't encountered anything like that here before and I see there is the same activity happening on the top side of at least one of the branches, but I know what my immediate reaction would be. Something with 'sweet' taste buds, be it animal or insect, is systematically going for the sweet tasting, high energy spring flowing viburnum sap and the cambium under the bark.

As a deterrent I would immediately mix equal amounts of either straight neem oil or tea tree oil (both are truly vile, bitter tasting and bitter scented oils) with liquid dish soap, mix and shake well until it is all frothy. Then by hand (wear rubber gloves) smear the frothy mixture very liberally all over the bark and the already damaged areas of the entire trunk and branches of the viburnum shrub. It won't harm the bark and can be repeated if it rains. At the end of spring after the spring sap stops flowing so profusely it can be rinsed off with a hose.

I agree with Threestep2 that you should contact your County Extension office for further information.

.

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by L00k4ward

A bird? Sapsuckers, etc.
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden...._Birds2271.jpg
https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=392097

https://blogs.mcall.com/master_garde...our-trees.html

Or hornet? The bald faced or European?

https://www.prestigestt.com/glossary...t-bark-damage/
https://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers....ranch-girdler/


https://www.tnfw.org/nine-minute-nat...ge-phenomenon/
Depending where you are?

Wow! Great resources, especially that last one from the nine-minute naturalist. Thanks for posting those links.

.

[L00k4ward]

To help your viburnum with the damaged bark I would just take wait and see and “tender loving care” approach.

TLC means just watching your precipitation and make sure the viburnum is not stressed and get enough water but no wet feet with permanently wet soil.
You need about 1 inch of water per week:10sq.ft ~ 6.23 gallons - applied very slowly so it could reach deep

Not sure about the fertilizer - it is between none and very light sprinkling - but away from the trunk. You know your soil/conditions better.
Do not fertilize after the end of June

As the bark is damaged- I would watch for canker disease - especially conducive to occur in drought conditions- hence regular watering schedule in the absence of rain.
Prune off affected branches, sterilize pruners with alcohol

https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/v...-insect-pests/

I want you to note how amazing the nature is: even extensive bark damage by the culprit isn’t absolute as in girdled - girdled plant will die.

Yours have enough bark left for the viburnum to repair itself and close out the wounds.
I wouldn’t put anything on it.
The damage may never happen again or for a while

Nature has a tendency to kill off the weak by sending pests and diseases, winds, etc
My concern would be especially if it is a relatively recently planted tree - could it be anything wrong with the growing conditions?

-is it planted too deep? Search “root flare”

-was it planted with pot bound roots circling each other and strangling itself?

-is it too wet from irrigation, etc?

-is it mulched and the mulch is too deep - more than 2 inches? The plant can’t “breathe” - the roots need gas exchange
is the mulch, if any, too close to the trunk? Need 4-6 inch of bare soil around the trunk.

If you notice completely dead branches - prune them off - as well as crossing and competing branches -it would stimulate a new fresh growth helping the tree to recover

Not quite sure, but it looks like it is potentially could be a leather leaf viburnum or some hybrid based on its parentage: Viburnum rhytidophylloides or one of its crosses

Please, be careful if this is the case when pruning. Something to be aware

https://chatsworthlady.com/2015/07/1...ller-viburnum/

[webster]

It looks like a woodpecker column. I would do a search for which woodpeckers are found in the area and then see if this is typical damage.

[Rickcin]

Originally Posted by Threestep2

You may want to reach out to your County Extension office.

Yes, she would know for sure.

[Rickcin]

Originally Posted by webster

It looks like a woodpecker column. I would do a search for which woodpeckers are found in the area and then see if this is typical damage.

I discounted a woodpecker possibly since it’s just the bark and can’t envision a woodpecker having that exact “depth control”!