How to Repair Split Bark on a Peach Tree

Cold weather can cause the bark to split on peach trees.

Peach tree bark can split for a number of reasons. Some of the most common reasons include reaction to a heavy frost, or an uneven growth spurt brought on by unseasonably warm weather. Unfortunately, wound dressings are not effective in closing split bark. Manually removing the bark around the split to encourage the tree to callus is the best way to manage split peach tree bark.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Bleach
• Water
• Sharp knife
• Measuring tape

Instructions

1. Fill a bowl with a mixture of one part water to ten parts bleach. Take the bowl and a sharp knife out to the affected tree.

2. Use a measuring tape to measure 1 inch from the top of the split.

3. Insert your knife through the bark layer at the top of the split at the 1-inch point, and pull the knife down around the left side of the split, keeping it 1 inch from the split itself. Stop when you reach the bottom of the split bark. You should have a curved mark encompassing the left side of the cut.

4. Set the knife in the bowl of bleach solution for five minutes.

5. Continue tracing the split up the right side with the sharp knife, keeping the cut 1 inch from the split. When you are done, you will have traced an outline of the bark split.

6. Carefully remove the bark that lies inside that area you traced after sterilizing the knife for a second time. This will leave you with a bare wood circle around the split. Do not apply a wound dressing. The tree will callus over on its own.

References

• Virginia Cooperative Extension: Pruning Peach Trees
• Cornell University: Fact Sheet - Bark Splitting on Trees