On 23 Jan 2005 19:35:05 -0800, wrote:

- Will this young tree be able to repair the damage and live a long and
healthy life?

Yup. As long as it's not completely girdled

- Is there anything I can do to treat the injury?

1) If it's really fresh, and the humidity has been high continuously since
injury, and the flap is still intact, place it back over the naked wood,
and secure it with something that has some stretch to it, like a piece of
nylon stocking. Give it a few months, and then remove the "bandage", and
see if the flap is going to adhere. If so, do nothing. If not, go to #2.

2) If the flap has been hanging there drying out for days, or if it's missing
entirely, or if #1 didn't work, trim the edges of the remaining bark
smoothly, using something like a new single edged razor blade. Mulch
around the tree so you don't skin the bark again.
(aka "string trimmer blight").

3) If it's completely girdled, you may be able to save it with bridge grafts,
using twigs from the same tree. See:
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/homegrnd/htms/28graft.htm
If you don't have grafting wax, use saran wrap around the area till you can
get some and replace the saran.

- Or it is pretty much game over and just a matter of time before
insects and/or disease find the weak spot and invade?

Nope. Just change whatever weeding or trimming habit caused the problem
in the first place, if that's how it happened.

- If this is the case, should I just replace it now with a new Japanese
Maple?

Plants are pretty tough. They're not dead till they're compost.

Kay