Question
I have a large 100+ year old holly tree that was severely pruned and the area around it burned. The bark did not get blackened. The tree is still alive. Now the bark at the bottom is peeling. The tree is in southeast Virginia. What can I do to save the tree.  

Answer
About all that can be done is just wit for spring and see if the tree will survive. Fire will damage the cambium cell layer just under the bark. this is very true fro thinner bark trees like holly. Not really anything that can be done to correct the heat damage. I do not think the whole tree will die but I would expect some branch dieback from the heat. The heat will also kill some of the branches. If it survives I would fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good--wait until early summer and if you apply the fertilize just before a rain storm you will not need to water.