How to Treat Tree Wounds

Our lot in Briar Chapel was covered with trees. The battle with builders was tough, but we were able to spare ten decent, tall trees. I had to almost throw myself in the path of their bulldozer… (just kidding, we could negotiate and put ribbons on a few trees). But now, a year later, I am founding some damage to the trunk of one of them.

The winds are high here, sometimes in the range of gales, and, when toppled, trees can damage our house. So we asked for help.

The “tree man” made a house call.  He was born in this area and his language didn’t leave any doubts. “You have a wound on your tree, and it has fungus”, his diagnosis was swift (it was Strassendiagnose, made just by looking at the patient).  I hoped to use this term one day ever since I learned it in my medical school.

So we have a “wounded tree”, infected with fungus and obviously in need of treatment.

How do one treat it? Aspiring to be a farmer, I had to educate myself.

Firstly, the wound had to be debrided. With the help of a tiller and a small spatula, I removed all the infected debris and damaged bark. You can see the well-preserved and healthy looking roots.

Now I sprayed the wound with fungicide. Three times.

And then applied the dressing.

Now we wait a few months and watch the branches. Hope the ones looking dead will heal. We will know by the next spring.

So, how do you treat tree wounds? The same as human wounds.

First make proper diagnosis, then debride, apply proper fungicide and cover it with a dressing.

Then sit back and watch it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if next someone will design a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for the tree.

Addendum.

It’s 8 years later.

The tree looks great. I’ve graduated from a heart surgeon to a tree surgeon.