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Clarifying usage of grades and standards: trunk scars
Frustrating issue: Trunks must be completely clean and scar-free for at least the first 4' from the ground up. No marks are allowed in the first 4' of trunk.
What
grades and standards says: The trunk injury issue is addressed on page 5
in Step 9c of the Grades and Standards. It takes two true statements in Step
9 to downgrade the tree to a lower grade. Therefore if there is an injury on
the trunk, and that is the only true statement in Step 9, then a Florida #1
tree is not downgraded. But there is more: Step 9c also states that "(Open
trunk wounds must be less than 10% of the trunk circumference and less than
2 inches tall on Florida #1 trees. An open pruning scar on the trunk resulting
from removing a branch is not considered an open trunk wound.)"
Summary statement: If your wound is smaller than 10% of the trunk circumference and the wound is less than 2 inches tall then a Florida #1 tree is not downgraded. However, since it takes only one true statement in Step 9 to downgrade a Florida Fancy, a tree with this wound would be downgraded to a Florida #1. If the wound is larger than 10% of the circumference or more than 2 inches tall then the tree is downgraded.
