Q. We have a nectarine tree trunk that we have a question
about. I am attaching photos of it. It looks like it’s rotting. We were going
to wrap the trunk to further protect it but we don't know if it's the right
thing to do. Please view the photos when you have the time and advise us on
what we should do.
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| Readers nectarine tree |
A. Nice pictures. I will post them on my blog. It looks
like there is damage to the trunk as you suggest. I would pull the rock away
from the trunk about a foot. Make sure that the source of the irrigation is not
close to the trunk. Put the water source a foot to 18 inches from it if
possible. Secondly, make sure you are
not watering too often. You should be watering right now about every 7 to ten
days but with a large volume of water when you do… enough to wet the soil to a
depth of 18 to 24 inches deep on at least two sides of the tree. Three or four emitters
watering this tree would be better than just two as the tree gets bigger.
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| Closeup of readers nectarine tree |
Pull the
bark away from the damaged area if the bark pulls away easily. If it doesn’t,
then cut the bark away with a sanitized knife so the damaged area is exposed and
clean for healing. Keep water off of the damaged area during irrigations until
it heals, perhaps around May or June.
If the
rock was put around the trunk and it keeps the trunk wet above the soil line
for the first several years, you may very well encourage trunk rot or collar
rot on young trees. On young trees it is important to keep mulch away from the
trunk a foot or so for about 5 years or more until the trunk matures and is
less susceptible to rotting. Secondly, never irrigate frequently but deeply and
less often.
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