And then, the best approach to keep it from coming back is to use a mulch around the tree, about a foot or two out away from the tree. That's the other problem. If you have vegetation growing right next to the tree, is that people want to get close with their string trimmers or lawn mowers and they'll bang up the trunk and damage the trunk. So, that's why the mulch is out so far, to protect the tree. This also looks like a great hiding place for field mice or other critters.
Rodents can be a real problem with fruit trees in the winter when food is scarce.
They'll gnaw this bark off and kill the tree. And the grass offers protection and you also have food supply for them. That's got to go. Okay, so, keep it all clean. That'll help with all of the problems we're talking about.