Crab Apple Repair

[Rex In Illinois]

What's the best way to treat this botched trim job? I concerned that water will collect in the pocket and cause further damage.

View attachment 193901

 

[jamied]

What's the best way to treat this botched trim job? I concerned that water will collect in the pocket and cause further damage.

View attachment 193901

Are you concerned that it is cut too close to the tree?

 

[Rex In Illinois]

Unless you can tell me how to cut it farther from the tree let's focus on the pocket where the water will collect.

 

[jamied]

Unless you can tell me how to cut it farther from the tree let's focus on the pocket where the water will collect.

It's a bit hard to tell from these photos,but it looks like you could make a clean cut there. Are you concerned you would need to cut too deep to get it flat?

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[ch woodchuck]

What's the best way to treat this botched trim job?

Leave it alone.''Assuming the tree is vigorous'' it will wall off the area to guard against infection.That little divit shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Rex In Illinois]

It's a bit hard to tell from these photos,but it looks like you could make a clean cut there. Are you concerned you would need to cut too deep to get it flat?

Yes, I thought about blending the cut down until it was flat, but wanted to get advice from those who know more about tree care than I do, and it looks like this is the place to get that advice.

I'll get pics from different angles today.

 

[jamied]

What's the best way to treat this botched trim job?

Leave it alone.''Assuming the tree is vigorous'' it will wall off the area to guard against infection.That little divit shouldn't be a problem.

That is what I was going to say at first also, but I didn't feel like I could really see these photos well enough and though there might be room to go back and make a clean cut.

 

[Rex In Illinois]

I took pictures from a closer side view to show the depth of the divit, but my camera no lost the ability to focus this morning. The depth of the divit is just under 1", so there would be a large area of blending.

This is what happened-

Last year someone cut this branch from the top down without a notch cut in the bottom first, causing it to break off leaving sharp points sticking out where the divit is. Last week I cut the shredded points off only to have what seemed like several hundred earwigs running out of the cut. This is when the divit was discovered.
I continued to smooth out the whole area (thus the too close cut), but didn't want to go any deeper until I got advice on how to proceed.

I'll get better pictures if you need them when my new Canon S95 camera arrives.

woodchuck - The tree seems to be very vigorous, all the other pruned areas have healed nicely.

 

[jamied]

Healthy trees normally can heal from all manner of damage and do so will little human intervention.

That said, when there is something like a botched cut like you have, it very well still may heal over, but you might be able to help it by making a better cut.

Either way, you don't want to cover it, fill it, paint it, spray it, etc. The decision just needs to be made if a you are going to make a clean cut or not, but either way you just want to leave it to heal.

If you do get some better photos I am sure we can help you decide if you should cut.

Jamie

 

[Rex In Illinois]

More pics of the Crab Apple cut.

View attachment 194556 View attachment 194557 View attachment 194558 View attachment 194559 View attachment 194560

 

[Rex In Illinois]

This is a small pocket in the bottom of the large pocket.

View attachment 194561

 

[jamied]

More pics of the Crab Apple cut.

View attachment 194556View attachment 194557View attachment 194558View attachment 194559View attachment 194560

Nice Photos. Thanks.

Is some of that bark loose? If it is, I would cut it off. I'm inclined to say that it will be just fine the way it is, it's already pretty close and would be hard to get a much better cut without digging deeper into the tree.

Jamie

 

[Rex In Illinois]

Yes the bark on the right side is loose. I'm worried that that small hole will continue to rot into the trunk, but if you guys think it will recover I'll leave it as it is. Pruning sealer won't help?

 

[jamied]

Yes the bark on the right side is loose. I'm worried that that small hole will continue to rot into the trunk, but if you guys think it will recover I'll leave it as it is. Pruning sealer won't help?

generally you remove the lose bark and the tree will heal up just fine on its own.

normally a healthy live tree isn't going to rot with a spot like that. the wood has to die for some reason before it can rot.

I would keep an eye on it for changes or any problems that could develop.

the only time I use pruning sealers or similar is on very small bonsai trees that are very delicate.

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[David (saltas)]

Branches should be cut at the branch collar

Do not cut any more off.

You may trim the loose bark with a sharp knife if you must

Branches should be cut at the branch collar read the info in the link

Tree pruning guidelines - City of Boroondara

 

[Rex In Illinois]

Thanks for the link, I'll keep it for future reference. I got to this one after the damage was done.

I'll be back with other threads about other trees needing attention

 

[Rex In Illinois]

Well here's the current state of this same tree from this 2011thread, it's now @ 40 years old. I noticed a pile of sawdust at the base and discovered the bottom of the scar had some loose pieces. Removing them revealed the source of the sawdust. Any hope fpr saving this one? I don't know what the expected lifespan of a crab apple is 60 miles south of Chicago.

 

[Mad Professor]

Original pictures have disappeared.

I've seen pictures of tree cavities filled with cement. Might try that and seal the edges with tar, re-tar once or twice a year.

 

[Del_]

For a cut that size that is about all that can be expected. Tar and cement do not help and likely do more harm than good.

Equal callus around the pruning cut is the goal but a cut that large often never closes over and even if it does then decay organisms are already under the closure and do their slow, steady job of decomposition.

 

[Rex In Illinois]

A bit of research revealed @ 40 years for a flowering crabapple.