A maple tree I had planted six years ago appears to have damage to one side of the trunk near the ground, this is not new damage; the outer layers are gone and the heartwood can be felt. I haven't noticed if the tree is forming a callous around it yet but the tree appears to have grown up about four to six inches so the wound is no longer at ground level. This is one of my favorite trees (I lost a London Plain tree two years ago because of this problem, but the wound on that tree was all around the base of the tree and I'm thinking this tree sustained its wound at the same time, possibly due to planting process). Should I do something to help protect the heartwood or should I just let the tree heal its own wound? :confused:

I've got a Japanese Maple that was severely scarred by a weedeater. It was almost girdled, but it came back and is doing great. You may want to get a roll of tree wrap though, just in case. Good luck.