Mountain Ash Canker?

[GardenGeisha]

This past spring one of my mountain ash trees seemed to have been nipped by the late spring frost. The frost occurred after the tree had already leafed out and set it way back. It was a bit taller than the mountain ash next to it which did not seem to be adversely affected by the frost. Eventually, the frost-bitten mountain ash recovered, but I noticed a wound on its trunk which appears canker-ish. Both trees seemed to do fine all summer, except they got drought-stricken, and when I watered them heavily, they bounced back. It was a scorcher of a summer and leaves on both trees developed a lot of brown edging. Recently both trees sent up new growth which is not brown.

I am worried about the winter, though. Will the winter weather cause the canker to worsen on the one tree? Is there anything I could do to help it heal? Wrap it for the winter or treat it with something? Thanks for your help. I took pictures today and can post them tomorrow, if that will help.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Here is a picture:

 

[StupidBird]

If that area of dead bark faces south or south east, then it might be sun scald. Happens to newly planted or young trees when their tender, un acclimatized bark is subjected to localized freeze thaw cycles in winter, due to the bark warming by the sun. Prevention is trunk wraps for the first winter after planting, but can happen other times too. Treatment? Allow the bark to regrow over the dead area, trim out dead limbs killed by insufficient sap flow, and hope for the best. May start heart rot, may not. Google this for more info.

Another cause of young tree trunk wounds are animals scratching, but usually much more damaging than this. Deer thrashing antlers in the fall cause lots of loses to young Christmas tree operations. Mice eat bark too, usually low to the ground.

 

[GardenGeisha]

Thanks for the info. I love your chicken picture. A kitten has climbed this tree with the wound on it. But I think the wound/canker first showed up after a late spring frost this May, which nipped the leaves and set it back, but none of the tree seems dead. There was a lot of sun and heat and drought this summer. The wound faces north. The tree was planted about 3 springs ago.

 

[StupidBird]

Thanks. I zoomed in as much as it allowed. Looks like some mechanical injury, not a disease. Watch for secondary infections of pests, such as borers. Kept healthy, it may recover fully.

 

[StupidBird]

Ok, I've also googled ash canker images. Your photo hasn't enough resolution to see other bark details of ash borer diseases, fugal cankers, etc, so take a look online and see if anything looks like it other than something scraping it. I could be completely off by lots. Yikes, there are more things to go wrong since I worked this stuff!

 

[GardenGeisha]

The good news is that we don't have ash borers here in Utah. :>)

 

[Smart Red]

That looks like damage to the bark caused by man or animal. Does look more like deer rub damage and certainly not a gnawing animal.

 

[thistlebloom]

Yep. That was pretty much my opinion too Red.

 

[GardenGeisha]

No deer here. Only cats.