How to treat and repair root flare damaged by backhoe
A backhoe scraped several layers of bark off the trunk and root flare of an established cedar. I know that root flare integrity is essential to tree health. How do I treat the damage to promote healing and protect the tree's health?
Answer
I'm afraid there's no good news here. Damage to the root flare is serious because it can lead to trunk rot at a key point on the tree. All mechanical forces concentrate at this point on the tree so if decay occurs here then the tree is very susceptible to falling over. Not much can be done to correct this. I would recommend that you get in touch with a certified arborist for an evaluation.