Carambola (starfruit) problem

[C24mccain]

Looking for advice on what to do to this carambola tree. It's a grafted Kari, planted last November. In June it started to decline. I noticed an issue a few inches above the graft at that time. Whatever has happened has girdled the trunk slowing nutrient flow to the tree. Would you give it more time to see if it recovers? Pug it at the girdle hoping to get a new shoot to sprout off the grafted wood below the issue effectively starting the tree over? Dig it up? Any thoughts?

 

[Brev Grower]

I'm confused, are the first and second picture different sides of the tree or at different times? If at different times, I would wait and see if it healed completely. Chances are it would, IMO...
Kind of looks like possible weed eater damage?

[C24mccain]

Different sides of the trunk. The side with the bark missing had turned brown and easily scrapped away. I had scrapped the mushy bark away about 6-8 weeks ago. I haven't been able to tell what the wound is or what its from. It's not possible to be weed eater damage as I don't use a weed eater anywhere near that area, the area is all mulched and no weeds. Thanks for the input.

[C24mccain]

Please note that the only part of the trunk that had the mushy bark that I scrapped away was the part you see in the pick. The part of the trunk with the weird looking wound was like that in June. The wound girdles the trunk but on the one side the bark had become mushy so I easily scrapped it away. I basically have given it a little over two months to see if it would recover but I'm not sure that I'm seeing any progress.

[fliptop]

I have no idea, but I noticed a similar thing on one of my potted carambola seedlings about a month ago. It's in a container and obviously I don't weed around it, ha!

The wound surrounds the whole trunk and none of my other seedlings have this issue. I thought maybe a squirrel or rat did the damage. The tree hasn't died yet and otherwise looks healthy.

[roblack]

Might it be a good idea to put some TreeKote or something on that wound for protection?

[achetadomestica]

The tree is green and healthy. I would prune several of the branches including the center leader.
I did that to mine and it really bushed out. The picture of the wound is blurry but if it is open and
not healed over you could tape it. I wouldn't give up on the tree. What did that area look like when
you purchased the tree? Is the wound all new?  It's finally raining or I would go look at my tree now.
My tree did bush out including allot of low branches and I just cleaned out the bottom the other day.

[C24mccain]

I have pruned the tree back at each branch and the central leader. For now I will give it more time to see if it heals...