I haven't been on GW in a very long time and am just getting back into gardening as the weather in Brisbane improves.

I planted an apple tree in a nature strip a year or two ago, but I had to abandon the patch when a neighbour trashed the site with branches and prunings to discourage me from gardening there. Today, I went back and dug up the tree to plant in my courtyard.

The tree had been growing in long guinea grass and still had bougainvillea prunings strewn over its branches. After I had planted it in its new hole, I noticed there was a soft rotting area of bark where the grass had been trapped by the prunings. When I rubbed away the soft outer bark, sections of the wood had been progressively exposed.

The section of affected wood is on the trunk above the graft. I suspect this is collar rot or canker? The wound mostly looks like a large split running down the trunk and exposing inner sections of the wood, surrounded by the soft bark. The tree seems otherwise healthy, vigourous growth, and it has its leaves out, even in July.

What do I need to do to treat the wound? Even if the wound does not seem to be affecting the apple tree's health now, could it shorten its life or cause problems later on?

Corey