TREATMENT OF GIRDLED TREES 



Girdling or partial girdling of trees is apparent in some orchards this 

 year. Limited observations indicate that the damage is most severe on young 

 trees where the snow remained above the wire guards to late February in some 

 areas. These trees should be repaired or replacedl You can't afford to have 

 trees of low production in orchards today. 



How Much Damage is Necessary to Warrant Repair? 



How much of the trunk circumference may have the bark removed and still 

 leave the tree capable of its functions is not known for certain, but it is 

 estimated that if the bark is removed from a quarter of the way around the trunk 

 the tree will be somewhat crippled. On the girdled side of the tree, the roots 

 will eventually become starved since there is no appreciable lateral movement of 

 food materials. If the amount of removed bark and cambium is not great in extent, 

 however, the uninjured cambium should form new wood and bark to replace that 

 which has been destroyed. Wound dressing in the early spring is always helpful 

 even to these less extensive injuries. 



It usually does not pay to bridge graft trees that have been completely or 

 almost ccHnpletely girdled for a year or more. These trees are generalljf in such 

 a low state of vigor that they will not respond to the treatment. However, some 

 success has been reported when apple trees were bridge grafted the second spring 

 after winter injury to the trunk. 



In the case of complete girdling of the trunk, the trees may be treated in 

 any one of several different ways, the choice depending on the age of the tree, 

 species of tree, tree vigor, and the grower's preference. 



Determining the Treatment 



1. The tree may be pulled out and replaced by a better one. 



2. If the apple or peach tree is only one or two years old it may be cut 

 off two or three inches above the surface of the ground or below the girdled 

 area. Usually many shoots will develop from the remaining stub. One of these 

 may be selected next spring and a new tree grown from it. Care must be taken, 

 however, to see that the shoot selected comes from above the union of the stock 

 and scion; otherwise the grower will get a seedling tree instead of a new tree 

 of the variety originally set. 



3. If the apple tree trunk is one and a half to two inches in diameter, the 

 trunk may be cut off and two scions of the desired variety may be cleft grafted 

 into the trunk. 



4. When the trunks of girdled apple trees are more than two inches in 

 diameter and where the top is worth saving, bridge grafting is probably most 

 feasible. 



5. When the roots of an apple tree are so badly injured that scions cannot 

 be readily attached to them, inarching should be done. 



