Even though it might sound like something completely out of the ordinary, the sun can actually hurt your trees. Think of it this way – just as you are capable of getting sunburn, the tree can get something called sunscald. However, unlike the temporary damage that sun causes to our skin, it could actually cause dramatic damage to trees and it could even lead to premature decline.
What Is Sunscald Exactly?
This is what happens to your tree when it receives too much sunlight exposure. It is capable of affecting any single part of the tree, including the fruits. The worst thing that could happen is when the bark becomes scalded.
Depending on the particular severity of the scalding, the bark can suffer aesthetic defects or it may actually become damaged to an extent which affects the inner structure of the plant. This is when the scald is also rather obvious to the observer as you will see a fissure of dead bark around it. Sunscald is usually going to affect trees which have thinner bark, including younger trees as well.
How Does It Damage the Trees?
The sunscald itself isn’t that detrimental to the plant – it’s what happens once the scald causes the bark to open. At this point, the fissure of sunscald has already reached the inner structure and tissue of the tree. This causes the tree to lose the majority of its protection from other organisms as well as from the elements. Bacteria, insects as well as fungi now have particularly easy access to the inner core of the tree and this could cause particularly detrimental damages and even death to the tree itself.
How To Stop This From Happening?
There are two things which are particularly effective against sunscald damage: to block or reflect the sunlight or to avoid excessive and over-pruning.
The first method could be executed with cloth wrapping or with other materials. You can also use white permanent paint. Keep in mind that this solution is usually used for when you are planting orchard. As we mentioned above, sunscald is usually more common for younger trees so this type of care is usually necessary up to a certain point, depending on the type of tree itself.
Over-pruning, on the other hand, is also a serious thing to consider as it’s going to deprive the tree from the natural protection it gets from the branches. Now, it is best if you get a professional to prune your tree because this way he is going to make sure that the tree is being shaped and pruned just as it needs to in order to avoid all sorts of complications. As tree care companies specialize in taking care of young and older trees, it is best to hire their services so that they can ensure that your landscaping looks good and healthy at all times.