Gardening and Horticulture - Cracks in tree trunk

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cheryl
02-11-04, 10:21 PM
The tree in my back yard has developed two large cracks in the trunk over the winter. When I say large, I mean 5-6 feet in length, 2-3 inches wide, and 4 + inches deep. Am I going to lose this tree?

chfite
02-12-04, 04:28 AM
How large is the tree? How old? What kind of tree? Is the bare wood under the bark exposed? Does the tree have buds that appear to be healthy? Do the cracks extend into the roots?
cheryl
02-12-04, 03:33 PM
The tree is elm, approximately 30 feet tall, age unknown. The cracks do not extend down to the roots, they are higher up. Yes, I see raw wood exposed in the cracks. There are no buds at all, as I live in Minnesota and there is nothing blooming or budding now. Thanks for the anticipated help!

chfite
02-12-04, 05:53 PM
Take a look at this page and see if it describes your situation. It is hard to tell at this stage what is exactly the problem without some more detective work.

http://plantpath.unl.edu/peartree/homer/disease.skp/hort/Trees/BacWetWood.html

The buds I refer to are the overwinter buds on the tips, not necessarily the developing buds for spring. I do understand that you might not be able to see them from the ground.

Hope this helps.