Peach Tree trunk ripped

Hello Fellow gardening enthusiasts,

I am in need of some advice on how to remedy the damage to my two year old peach tree's trunk. I have attached a picture to better illustrate the issue. I am worried about its health and growth. I would appreciate any suggestions or guidance on how best to address this issue. Needless to say I am new to gardening, so any help or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Joon, and welcome to permies. Your tree looks to have suffered an injury that took off some bark and exposed the cambium. Very likely a rodent gnawing on it, and quite some time ago (maybe last winter or early spring). It will probably be fine, but to increase the chances that it heals well, I would recommend a cleanout and covering job. Use a sharp knife to trim away all the dead bark and decayed matter, probing the middle of the wound to make sure there's no rot in there. Next, fill it with an earth-based coating. My go-to mix is clay and cow manure, made into a paste. Or you can paint it with a few coats of limewash. Either method will inhibit pathogens from infecting the wound and in the spring new growth will start to grow over it. Keep mulch away from the collar of the tree, especially when it's young.

Hello and welcome to Permies!

It looks to me as if that is a growth split where the fruiting part of the tree has been grafted onto a different rootstock, and it is having difficulty matching the growth rates between the 2 parts. I've seen a similar issue on my plum tree, which is still looking fine after several years.
Apart from maybe being a little close to the ground level (which runs the risk of the top part trying to send out it's own roots) I don't think this is anything to worry about. As long as the rest of the tree seems to be growing and look healthy I think it's fine. You may find it will heal over - or become more generally bark like, in time.