I have tried for three years running to get an orchard going. This year I bought some very nice plum and apple trees and they got off to a great start and then the plague of hoppers hit. There is a tremendous amount of bark damage to the new growth on these trees. I am curious if anyone knows whether trees will regenerate that bark or if I need to prune all the damage off of them this fall? I am hoping I don't need to do that as it will take half of their heighth away. Thanks for your help!

-- Doreen (liberty546@hotmail.com), August 21, 2000

Answers

Unless they are totally girdled, they will be stressed but should survive. They should scar over and eventually heal. We have terrible damage from rabbits, mice and such in winter so I make it a practice to wrap young trees with old screening at least as high as the rabbits reach. We had a really nice Gala as an accent tree (I do edible landscaping rather than a straightforward orchard)that the mice girdled totally. The screening doesn't look great but neither do dead trees.

On branches, the same would hold true about healing. Last year we had both the 13 and 17 year locusts hatch at the same time. They did terrible damage on the underside of nearly all the branches smaller than 3/4" diameter. Some died and had to be pruned off, others have started to heal as a pruning cut would. I did wait until they started to leaf out this spring before I pruned the dead stuff. Good luck.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), August 21, 2000.

It is amazing how much a tree can be damaged and pull through. I planted a peach tree and my then puppy used it as a chew bone. By the time I realized it there was very little bark intact. This year we picked at least 2 bushels of peaches off it and it is only 4 years old. Course here in Wisconsin any year may be its last:( Tami in Wi

-- Tami Bowser (windridg@chorus.net), August 22, 2000.

I am seriously hoping these trees pull through! I am trying to do edible landscaping as well, but this swarm of hoppers early this summer made a laughingstock of the effort. I will take your advise Marilyn and prune the dead stuff in the spring. Thanks!

-- Doreen (liberty546@hotmail.com), August 23, 2000.