North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[David Maxwell <David.Maxwell@Dal.Ca>]

The nylon rope lasts much better.  But neither is totally kind to the bark,
because the
tie is constantly rubbing against the bark and abrading it.


Hmm,... I wonder if I could put something around the bark first, to 
protect it?
Something
so the rope would slide on that and not directly on the bark? I can't 
think what
would
work and also stay put, though. I was looking at 5/8" in diameter rope (which
won't fit
in a garden hose), to provide the broadest possible surface area against the
trunk,
but... I just don't know.

My goodness! I've been using 1/4" rope.  I would think 5/8" would have *no*
noticeable effects.

But if one is trying to pull it back up straight, when it has bent over 
from the
wind,
for example, (ie. there is a constant pressure on the loop around the trunk),
the bark
underneath does get indented.


Mine would have constant pressure, since I've got the limbs tied down in the
other
direction. The rope *would* pull the tree back up straight, a bit. But 
I'd think
this
constant pressure would actually lessen the abrasion problem. Not so?

Yes.  What happens is that the bark gets indented, (leaves a groove), but
remains intact.

  The good aspect of this is that it doesn't seem to matter, (at least 
so far),
on my
trees.  I haven't developed any cankers or anything, which one might 
expect with
damaged bark.

David Maxwell
Zone 5a-b, coastal Nova Scotia
(That's a little province hanging off the right-hand edge of Canada.)


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