torn branch

[Honore']

Some kid tore a branch off my six foot maple. The tree has been left with a tear off one of the main branches. Is there anything i should do to assure that the tree will not get sick.E-MAIL [email protected]

 

[Jay Banks]

I would make a clean cut to the branch at the proper location. You want to cut just outside of the branch collar. DON'T cut flush with the trunk. The tree will "heal" the wound on its own.

Just keep your tree healthy with adaquate moisture this summer.

Jay Banks
ISA Certified Arborist
Urban Forester

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Duh'oooh! Please not heal! Close over, up, calus.

We proffesionals must stop perpetuating the myths that animal/plant anologies are acceptable.

Just like my spelling is unacceptable!

 

[Jay Banks]

John,
This is a site for just more than advise, I agree that the terms should be industry standards. However, not all of the laypersons are familuar with our terms that's why I used quotes.

If we talk to folks on a level that they understand than the next step is to educate and elevate folks to being smarter consumers.

Agree?

Jay

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I think most people are able to understand if we say that the wound will "close over". If we start with the analogies that infer that there are similarities then we have to start over again.

When I was out on lawns and a client would use the word I would correct right away "trees don't heal..."

Healing, haircut, tree surgeon... these things that support misconseptions should not be used.
I'm not of the crowd that wants to differenciate between trim and prune, vigor and vitality. These are things that can communicate things between proffesionals.

I look in the dictionary and heal says "restor health and soundness" with a tree the defect will always be there and may cause problems in the future; fissures, cracks and such. So if we say new wood will close over the defect, we don't imply that it is on the same level as a cut to our skin.

I've talked to a number of people that have had a tree person tell them "It'll heal" then I need to explain why ther is decay and slime flux, ect...

To sum the rambling rant up. If we are, as an industry, going to say "Trees don't heal." We need to be on the same page.

 

[John Paul McMillin]

ok cool down john. i did see jays quotations around the word heals and i thought the same thing at first. All of us certified arborist know Dr. Shigo's CODIT, dont we . I have been teaching all of my interns to use the word compartmentalize instead of the word heal. The word "heal " has been used for a long time even though it is incorrect and i agree it needs to be addressed and changed,and i think jay knows that , he was just speaking figuratively to the layperson. but i think you made your point . Peace john

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I'm not trying to rant, just put forth a reasoned argumnet. The medium does lend itself to running on though.

That is one of the purposes of being here.