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Ask a Gardening QuestionGardening Questions & Answers: Plant ProblemsOak Tree Shedding Bark

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Oak Tree Shedding Bark

#1 · 15th May 2022, 4:07 pm

Over the last couple of weeks my mature Oak tree has been shedding bark from the trunk, the exposed wood has several deep pitted areas, seems quite damp and there are signs of wood lice. The bark around the exposed area seems quite loose and is easy to pull off. Anyone have any ideas what might be causing this and ever hopeful, how to treat it? Thanks.

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#2 · 16th May 2022, 3:43 pm

Hi Warren,

Thanks for posting your question. How very strange and concerning that your oak tree is shedding bark. Other than the loss of bark it looks really healthy.

My immediate thought looking at the pictures is that a woodpecker may have been paying you a visit given the small shot holes in the existing trunk. Then peeling off the bark either for nesting, to eat grubs or woodlice or tap the tree for sap as food.

If it was lower down I'd think maybe rabbits but these telltale holes indicate to me a woodpecker.

The issue with damaged tree bark is it allows infections to get into otherwise healthy trees. If an entire ring of bark is removed from any tree it will kill it. This is known as ring barking and must be avoided at all costs.

The woodpecker may be pecking to remove insects or woodlice from a damaged part of the bark. The woodlice may be eating any damaged or dead material. I'd recommend covering the area with a breathable membrane, some plastic netting loosely tied or some lengths of rope around the trunk temporarily. Amongst this, some bird scarers such as old CDs may help. You don't want to use plastic as it will cause it to sweat and risk more infection.

The good news is it should be fatal unless it gets infected or the ring barking occurs. I'd given the wound a quick clean removing any dead bark and woodlice to help it along.

Do let us know how you get on.

Lee