Questionplease help! my birch was hurt by my landscapers in 2008. the bark is peeled back about 14 inches almost all the way around the tree. the tree is putting on far fewer leaves this year with lots of bare limbs. what can i do to save the tree?
AnswerI would cut any loose bark from the wound and spray the wound with an insecticide for Borers called Merit or Onyx. The tree will heal over the wound as long as you keep borers from entering the wound. I would also this Fall fertilize with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. Apply just before a rain storm and you will not need to water.
