2007-08-24 12:31:53 · 6 answers · asked by newby37 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
I've heard that in warm weather you need to cover the area to prevent pests from getting in. If you trim trees when it is below freezing, you don't need to cover the area. Having said that, even in warm seasons most of the time I don't cover the area and I've never had any problems with it.
2007-08-24 12:40:34 · answer #1 · answered by kelsey 7 · 0⤊ 5⤋
International Society of Arboriculture says no tree stuff. Plant protect themselves from the inside, not from something slathered over the wounds. Infection is assured the moment air hits the wood, but if the cut is properly made (!!!) then the tree walls the infection off internally. When there's a big infection it is because the pruning cut was improperly made (flush cuts for example) and the tree could not control the problem.
That said, for aesthetic reasons, some very dilute latex paint may be applied where large limbs were removed and the underlying wood is white like "full moons." The tinting reduces the visual effect, not "wound dressing."
Properly remove the branch, cutting outside the branch collar, and the tree will take care of the wound.
2007-08-24 13:54:37 · answer #2 · answered by fluffernut 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bare, good to see a couple 'answers' correct. A few years ago even the pro's couldn't agree. I have a friend in the tree business and we made a grey wash of one teaspoon of black craft paint in a gallon of water. It's a placebo for the homeowner who has come to expect it. They think that if they have to pay big bucks for a tree job, they should see sealant on the cuts. The exception is in grafting. When an orchard is top worked, not only are the graft unions covered (to prevent dehydration not disease), the tree is whitewashed to prevent sun scald until a new leaf canopy grows. RScott
2007-08-24 13:25:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The answer to this question has changed over time. It used to be standard practice to paint the cut surface. You can buy pruning paint, which is mostly tar, that is made for this purpose, or use latex paint (which will not damage the tree). The new recommendation is to not paint the cut surface. The cut surface heals just fine on its' own.
Think of it like using a band-aid. A cut heals better when it is exposed to air. However, if you have a bad cut, you want to keep dirt and germs out of it until the cut begins to heal.
I have had to cut bark patches on tree trunks to look at graft unions. I use pruning paint when I cut those, because I have cut a bark patch off of the trunk close to the ground. Dirt, fungus, or insects could easily invade these cuts. If I cut a limb which is up in the air I do not use the paint.
2007-08-24 12:47:09 · answer #4 · answered by Mark T 4 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Leave it bare.
The "old boy" thinking of painting or wrapping the cut only increases the potential for diseases for the tree later on.
2007-08-24 12:39:07 · answer #5 · answered by jomo 1 · 4⤊ 1⤋
If it's a pretty sizeable limb, there are products in garden supply shops or big DIY centers with garden depts. that are made to daub on the cut area to protect it from pests and other problems that could affect the rest of the tree. It's kind of a gummy blackish stuff, as I recall. ['sizeable' can mean anything over 2", if memory serves].
2007-08-24 12:38:40 · answer #6 · answered by constantreader 6 · 1⤊ 5⤋
Leave it bare no matter what. If you paint it you greatly increase the chance for disease.
2007-08-24 18:32:41 · answer #7 · answered by pontgranprix 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
leave it bare. I grew up thinking you had to cover ,but have leared from pros in the last few years not to.
2007-08-24 12:38:41 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
The black stuff may look unsightly, but from experience, it bugs are going to infest, that naked place is an invitation.
2007-08-24 13:08:58 · answer #9 · answered by sheek Txn 5 · 0⤊ 7⤋