Frost Cracks
If frost caused frost cracks, every tree in anyone area should have them.
They don't. But, when trees are present with internal cracks, and then the
wood is suddenly cooled, the cracks spread outward.
I have dissected trees with deep internal cracks extending from old wounds
and injuries. Most cracks start from the inside out. There are cracks that
do form from the outside in but they are not common and usually shallow.
Your tree had a serious wound.

--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Tree Biologist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.
Some people will buy products they do not understand and not buy books that
will give them understanding.

"cat daddy" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
...
I have a silver maple that I planted in the spring of 2007. The trunk
is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, and stands about 9 to 10 feet tall.

North Texas storms have been coming through, and the tree now has some
damage about 4 foot up the trunk.

See the pictures here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/26129857@N02/

I've heard of bark tracing, cutting away the rough edges, as close as
you can to where the bark is solidly attached to the tree. Problem
is, the bark is peeling off on more than a 180 degrees of the
circumfrence.

I'v also heard of wrapping it with duct tape, and checking it every
three months.

What is the best method to repair this type of damage?

Is it a good idea to keep it covered, or will direct sunlight be more
beneficial? Maybe some velcro straps to keep the bark as close to the
inner trunk as possible?

Maple bark peeling
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/askext...AskSiteID =84

"What you've described is probably a frost crack. It is very common on
Norway and red maples, due to their thin bark. ............... and is a
response to extreme fluctuation in temps between night and day.
But trees have their own way of healing themselves, without help from
us...The wood around the wound begins to produce special compounds in its
cells that put up a barrier to stop decay. This is called
compartmentalization. Any attempt to "help" on our part can breach that
barrier and further problems can result. My advice is to wrap the trunk
during the winter months for the next few years, until the tree is older,"