Something gnawing JM?

I have this 5ft Orange Dream in a raised boarder. I noticed today that something appears to be Gnawing the bark off..could this squirrels? I live next to a park and have noticed some in my garden recently.. larger furry animals do not have access to my garden.

Thoughts, experiences welcome

Cheers
Rich

 

Grey squirrels will do this. Rats will also target the base of trees. I would put chicken wire around the base up to about a foot in height. Keep an eye on others after you do this. Hope all goes well dicky.

 

Thanks I had no issues whilst my Bengal cat policed outside! It terrorised the squirrels

 

I have heard that rats like the protection of ivy, of which you seem to have lots . . . probably easier to put chicken wire around tree trunks than eliminate the ivy.

 

I’ll clear the ivy too, thanks

 

Mice/voles will do this too. You do need pretty fine mesh to keep out mice or rats.

Unfortunately it looks in the second pic that the branch is almost or completely ringed. It will need to be removed.

Although the damage to the base rootstock is extensive, I'd say that it will recover, though it will take a few years to heal over.

 

Thanks gutted..it’s a nice tree..the damage to the branch is about 60%..worth leaving it on I think?

 

It's really a hard choice, and there is no right answer. You can always leave it for a year, and see how the healing goes, although typically vertical damage heals better than horizontal, for obvious reasons. You can still try to wrap it with tape, if the damage is fresh.

Many years ago, I left similar damage on a major branch of a 'Mirte'. That branch schlepped along while the rest of the tree out grew it. This year the branch finally died back, and I removed it. Probably should have removed it way back then. Last year 'Kinran' was badly damaged by a Roe Deer along one of the major branches. It didn't respond to the taping technique, and I took it off this winter. The tree looks very lopsided, but I guess it will even out in a few years.

 

Thanks for the information, much appreciated. The damage happened quite quickly..I think something had one or two sittings....may have been a rat or Squirrel, I live next to a park so I tend to get lots of rodents visiting in the winter months.

 

Being so close to the ground, it can be covered with a little soil

 

Thanks..Would that stop the healing process though and increase the risk of infection?

 

It gets too much sun in its current spot and tends to burn..so I’ve dug it up and put it in a big pot and moved it away from the ivy..

 

Consider a fungicide application to the area that's been attacked. Spraying now could well save it. Good luck !!

 

It does not have to have infection, all the acer layered and have no problem.

 

Moving it to a pot is a good idea. Sorry, covering the wound with dirt isn't. This isn't a good candidate for layering, if that's what you're suggesting.

It's too bad you didn't immediately wrap it in cellotape, (scotch or packing) but too late now I guess.

Spraying with copper at least won't hurt, and might help, though I don't know if it would be decisive. I would, as always, stay away from synthetic or systemic fungicides.

 

thanks emery..why is there a time pressure to wrap it..it looks fairly fresh

 

Nothing happens to cover it with dirt, in fact even the crown grafts, I have seen them covered with mud if there is no graft paste, and they have taken it perfectly.

 

minute 5:12

 

Just a question of effectiveness. When the wound is fresh, there are still bits of cambium alive on the cleared area. The taping seems, over the course of the growing season, to keep these moist and allow them to spread and combine. If the wound area has had a chance to dry, it never works. I've had very good luck with tape, though for sure it doesn't always succeed, as it didn't with the Mirte this past year, sadly. But I had some quite bad damage to a young seiryu that really responded well.

@zfrittz I don't think this is a grafting technique that applies to maples! Interesting though. Maples are very sensitive to being planted too deep, Graft unions that are not well aerated are subject to complete failure, in my experience.

 

There are more grafting techniques in maples than those seen in the forums, do not believe everything they tell us .. (laughs)

 

Healing up nicely:)

 

@dicky5ash another good news story !! Excellent R.

 

You were Spot on though D, Total shade before 4pm and sun after 4pm was too much for Orange Dream, she’s moving again

 

@dicky5ash it is such a shame, as we would all like to see this one in a sunnier area.
September is moving time though !!!

 

It is for sure..I potted on a 9 ft witch’s broom last night, out of a large bowl pot, into new accommodation. Only a couple left in painful but attractive pots!