Cut off sunburned trunk or let it grow?

[Travillion]

I bought this meiwa kumquat a few years ago and kept it in a pot because I didn't have a yard until now. I finally planted it in the ground yesterday. It got severely sunburned when I first bought it. You can see a long strip of scar tissue going up the trunk. It has almost completely grown over now. I know it's not "healed" and that dead tissue will always be in the tree. I'm also assuming it won't grow new buds there so it will always be a bare stretch of trunk. I'm wondering how weak/vulnerable it will be in the future. Should I cut that section of trunk out and let it be a short bush, or keep the burned trunk and allow it to keep growing up?

[kumin]

I'd leave it as is temporarily. When a vigorous shoot emerges below the damaged area, but above the graft union I'd allow it to gradually overtake the damaged branch. When the replacement is sufficiently mature and lignified, the damaged section can be removed.

[Travillion]

I'd leave it as is temporarily. When a vigorous shoot emerges below the damaged area, but above the graft union I'd allow it to gradually overtake the damaged branch. When the replacement is sufficiently mature and lignified, the damaged section can be removed.

Sounds good, thanks!

[BorisR]

The exposed wood is a place of penetrations of fungal diseases, so I would definitely trim this branch. But since the branch occupies a significant part of the tree, I agree with kumin, and I would trim it later. Moreover, the tree has just been planted. I would do this: In the spring, I would break a branch so that it would be lower than the rest of the branches of the tree. Then its foliage would participate in the development of the tree. But since the branch would be tilted down, it would not develop, and the tree would take away nutrients from the wood. And in the autumn it would be possible to prune.

And use a garden var. If it is applied immediately after pruning, the wood on the cut will not cork and the wound will heal well without creating dead wood inside.

[growinginphoenix]

And use a garden var. If it is applied immediately after pruning, the wood on the cut will not cork and the wound will heal well without creating dead wood inside.

Is there another name for "garden var"? A google search only gives two results, both are products out side the US. Is this something that can be made instead of purchased?

[Millet]

I would also leave the trunk alone. Any decision can be rightly be made in the next several years.  Many trees with the same problem have grown into full developed trees.

[BorisR]

Is there another name for "garden var"? A google search only gives two results, both are products out side the US. Is this something that can be made instead of purchased?

Yes, the translators let me down here. Sorry. I meant "Grafting wax".

[Coconut Cream]

The tree may grow fine from that damaged branch, but then you'll have fruiting growth that you won't want to prune on a branch that could be rotting from the inside, or maybe compromised in some other way. I would prune it back below the damage and let the other shoots grow, and it may sprout some side shoot below the cut. Then you have nothing to worry about.