Question
I have two 2 year old purple maple trees and the bark is lightly peeling off the trunk area directly below the branches.  Is this just from frost or should I apply a wrap of some kind to protect the tree?

Answer
What you've described is probably a frost crack. It is very common on Norway and red maples, due to their thin bark. It usually occurs on the south or southwest side of the tree and is a response to extreme fluctuation in temps between night and day. A sudden drop in the temperature causes the outer layer of wood to contract more rapidly than the inner layer, which results in a long vertical crack at weak points in the trunk. But trees have their own way of healing themselves, without help from us...The wood around the wound begins to produce special compounds in its cells that put up a barrier to stop decay. This is called compartmentalization. Any attempt to "help" on our part can breach that barrier and further problems can result. My advice is to wrap the trunk during the winter months for the next few years, until the tree is older, to help moderate the temperature fluctuations, and visually monitor the overall tree health!