Included Bark
Included bark is when two or more parallel branches grow together, embedding the bark tissue between the branches. In some instances these two branches might appear to be fused together, but in reality the bark tissue will never fuse creating a weak spot in the tree.
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| Included Bark in an Old Pear Tree |
If you have parallel branches in your tree, make sure they are removed while they are still young to avoid problems that could occur from included bark.
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| Parallel Branches May Seem Harmless Now, But End up Causing More Severe Problems in the Future |
Thank you for sharing valuable info! Now I'm noticing all kinds of included bark problems on the deciduous trees on my property...will keep this in mind when I prune my new fruit trees.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that is the problem with education. It opens your mind to problems, and you can't avoid seeing them.
DeleteCouldn't you just slice the tree on both sides and let it go together in the cambium layers? I think I've seen them do that with trees to make them an art.
ReplyDeleteThis would work. Like grafting, but the graft union would still be a weak spot because of the branch angle. You can also put a carriage bold through the tree to help strengthen that specific location, but it's best to avoid this through aggressive pruning when the tree is young.
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