I am so sorry that this happened to your tree. I will leave it to the experts to tell you what you should do about helping the tree, but I would suggest you call up the person who did this and let them know you are holding them accountable. They couldn't have done this damage and NOT known about it.

trees heal themselves.. for right now i would do nothing ....

i would check back in fall.. and perhaps trim away the loose bark ...

then i would fire the guy ...

then i would kill all the grass in a 3 foot circle around the trunk of the tree.. and add 2 to 3 inches of mulch... and any other tree in the lawn ....

so that the next guy doesnt do the same thing ...

and then i would quit pulling on the skin flap .. lol ...

seriously ... give the guy heck.. but dont worry about the tree ... for now anyway

good luck

ken

I'm had this happen to my Bald Cypress tree when the contractors were residing our house. They were wheeling a large scafolding in June across our lawn and they nicked this tree and it did sizible bark damage. I was very worried but I found out that the best thing you can do for trees when this happens is absolutly nothing. and this was right by fall the tree was already partly healed. Trees definitly know how to heal themselves, But I did follow information to cut away loose bark around the wound being very careful not to remove any that was in tacked, but this isn't nessasary I would think.

there are two reason to remove the bark..

1-- so bugs cant hide behind it ...

2 --- so moisture wont build up and lead to rot ...

but i said leave it.. because.. right now.. you are more likely to peal into the good stuff ... and make it worse than it is ...

giving it a little time.. to start compartmentalizing.. allows the wound to start to heal ... so that you can do the job safer ...

think of a nice cut on your finger... with a little skin flap ..

give the wound a bit to heal over.. then remove the flap a few days later ....

or just take some pruners and remove a big hunk of the separated bark.. it isnt going to heal back on.

6 of this.. half dozen of the other.

ken

First, call the lawn guy and tell him why you are firing him. Guys with pickups and trailers are a dime a dozen, and they do this to trees every day at a sad rate. Second, make your mulch ring around the tree larger. Third, let the wound go and try not to pick at it. As long as the tree is healthy it should recover.

Dan

Thank you all very much for the info and your support. I absolutely need it. My husband read it soemwhere that you can re-attatch the tree bark when damaged just happens. Has anyone heard of this? does it work? He tried to duck taped the tree bark back within 4 hrs. Any opinion on this?

you can re-attatch the tree bark when damaged just happens.

You can reattach it but it won't grow back. Plants don't heal this way. As implied above, eventually it will harbor critters (but good ones as well).

Dan

Just to argue:
Is there any circumstance where you all would not fire the lawn guy?

I'd for sure tell him about it. If the fella offers to replace your tree if it dies during the next two years I'd forgive him. Or if he's been your lawn guy for 40 years and this is the 1st instance.

Then again he probably noticed when this happened and should have said something.