Why does the bark on fruit trees crack and how to deal with it?

Even a novice gardener encounters cracks in their trunks. They can occur at any time of year. Cracking in the bark of fruit trees not only spoils their appearance but also poses a real danger to your beloved garden.

Why are cracks in trees dangerous?

To use an analogy with the human body, a crack in a tree (even a microscopic one) is a wound, a direct route for infection. The plant is at high risk of becoming susceptible to bacterial and/or fungal diseases.

Problems associated with the fact that the integrity of the cortex is violated:

• the barrel is deformed;
• sap flow is getting worse;
• gum flow begins;
• the immune system is weakened.

Trees are unable to heal their own wounds. To prevent cracks from growing, causing the tree to die, or becoming a source of infection for the garden, repair the damage regularly.

Causes of bark cracking

Why does the bark on fruit trees crack? Most often, it's due to the following reasons:

• wet, frosty or windy winter;
• rapid tree growth due to improper fertilizing;
• sharp changes in air temperature;
• insect pests (bark beetles, emerald beetles, weevils, longhorn beetles, woodworms, glassworms, etc.);
• fungal diseases (cytosporosis, black cancer, European cancer);
• sunburn (most often in early spring, when there are still frosts in the mornings);
• excess harvest (mechanical deformation occurs, cracks form on the branches);
• rodents (hares, mice and others).

If you don't figure out why the bark on your fruit trees is cracking and how to prevent it, you risk losing your garden.

Let's take a closer look at the most common reasons.

Excess nitrogen fertilizers

Overdoing it with fertilizer? Get ready to treat the bark. Nutrients are actively pumped into the inner layer of the wood, which grows so quickly that the outer layer can't keep up. The result: the tree begins to crack.

How to avoid this? Avoid fertilizing during the fruiting period.

Overwatering of trees and soil

Pay attention to watering—the more moisture, the more vigorous the growth. After that, everything follows the same pattern as with nitrogen fertilizers.

Incorrect preparation of trees for winter

When choosing a seedling, pay attention to how frost-resistant it is.

Cold-hardy varieties can also crack if weather conditions become abnormal.

What to do? Stop watering the tree starting in November. Be sure to whitewash the trunk and insulate it before the cold weather sets in. If cracks do appear, treat them with a potassium permanganate solution.

Planting too deep

If you plant the seedlings too deeply, this will cause the bark to crack.

Shallow planting can also contribute to cracks and damage to trees.

No pest protection

We recommend conducting a simple test that will show the extent to which a fruit tree is infested with insects.

Stick a knife into the bark. Does the bark peel off easily and crumble? That's bad. If the bark is hard enough, there's a chance to save the plant.

Treatment of cracks in tree bark

Here's an algorithm for treating the bark of fruit trees in the spring:

1. Strip the bark down to healthy tissue (don't go deeper than 2 cm).
2. Treat the surface with a solution of iron or copper sulfate.
3. Cover the wound with garden pitch.
4. Whitewash with lime.
5. Burn the debris left after cleaning.

How to prevent cracks in the bark of fruit trees

There are a number of measures that can prevent bark cracking in fruit trees. One of these measures is whitewashing the trunks.

How to whitewash correctly?

• spread a film under the crown;
• scrape off the old bark with a spatula;
• coat the cleaned areas with garden pitch;
• Carefully whitewash the tree trunk with lime (approximately 1 m in height), the affected area should also be whitewashed.

To protect trees from temperature fluctuations during winter cold, insulate trunks and primary branches. Use readily available materials such as newspapers, paper, or spunbond.

• If the plant is 7-8 years old, we recommend using furrowing. Find the north-facing side of the trunk, disinfect the knife, and make three longitudinal cuts (up to 12 cm long). This will reduce the pressure that may occur during frosts.
• Inspect the trunks and branches periodically. If you notice any swelling, clean and treat the tree.
• The deepest and most extensive wounds are sealed with a mixture of clay and ash after cleaning.
• Follow the rules of watering, fertilizing and pruning.
• Use special crack prevention products. They protect the wood from sudden temperature changes.
• Remove fallen leaves and dead grass around the tree.
• Treat the cutting areas carefully.
• Choose tree varieties that have proven themselves to be resistant to pests and frost.

Sooner or later, every gardener encounters cracks in their tree trunks. But you can minimize the negative consequences of these problems.