Tree wound sealing Q & A

[Toronado3800]

So as I do not hijack a different thread please allow me to continue here and I will continue to do so more politely.

In my point of view once the cambium of a tree has been removed by damage or pruning the inner heartwood is as defenseless to rot as a 2 x 4. Big live trees I have cut appear to rot from an exterior wound or fork with included bark which allowed moisture into the tree and then rotted the tree from the inside out, not the outside in as the cambium can fight rot or out grow it.

I don't have any Eucalyptus of course which seem to take nutrients from their heartwood rotting so rot is a negative thing.

So far I have found this vague statement on Wikipedia "Some uncertainty still exists as to whether heartwood is truly dead, as it can still chemically react to decay organisms, but only once." and it does reference P65 of a Shin book from 1986. Maybe I will Amazon me a used copy eventually. So what does heartwood do to fight rot a 2 x 4 does not though?

The photo attached is of a pruning cut made too close to the top of the branch collar which also got infected bad enough I had to cut away a section of rot. It has been open a couple years now. Notice I have not sealed it but I have used a bit of insecticide in there as I believe the tree will have it encapsulated the hole two more years before water does any terrible damage but I can not stand watching the string of ants go in and out.

View attachment 310647

Do I understand right that the encapsulating wound wood is genetically dispositioned not to transfer chemicals or rot from the exposed layer I have termed dead wood? Even in regular circumstances trees capture the odd chainlink fence, cabling bolt, curb or bicycle and put up with grafting wax so I question how much chemical transfer there would be if the crack was sealed up at the end of a dry week.

Thanks for putting up with me rocking the boat.

 

[hardpan]

I have sealed many trunk wounds in the last 40 years with paint and other substances that resulted in leading me to continue the practice. On some I have done nothing and ended up with the miserable situation in your photo. I think the added touch of insecticide sounds good. All along I've heard the warnings from the experts, especially from an old friend who has a horticulture degree from Purdue. I still do it and enjoy being successfully wrong. Now we're both going to catch hell.

 

[ddhlakebound]

In my point of view once the cambium of a tree has been removed by damage or pruning the inner heartwood is as defenseless to rot as a 2 x 4. Big live trees I have cut appear to rot from an exterior wound or fork with included bark which allowed moisture into the tree and then rotted the tree from the inside out, not the outside in as the cambium can fight rot or out grow it.

So what does heartwood do to fight rot a 2 x 4 does not though?

The photo attached is of a pruning cut made too close to the top of the branch collar which also got infected bad enough I had to cut away a section of rot. It has been open a couple years now. Notice I have not sealed it but I have used a bit of insecticide in there as I believe the tree will have it encapsulated the hole two more years before water does any terrible damage but I can not stand watching the string of ants go in and out.

View attachment 310647

The 2 x 4 had CODIT, when it was a live tree before it was milled. The living tree still has CODIT.

All tissue present at the time of wounding is susceptible to decay. All new tissue grown after wounding will be protected by wall 4 of the CODIT model. The tree very much decays from the outside in, starting at the point of the wound/s. Of course, by the time you notice it, it may appear to be from the inside out, because the tree has grown new tissue in the time since wounding, and you may have never even known about the wound which instigated the decay.

"Moisture" does not rot or decay trees. Fungal pathogens decay and rot trees. Fungal pathogens do require moisture, but in most cases atmospheric humidity and water content already present in the tree are more than sufficient for fungal growth.

Fungi also require oxygen.....so any area submerged in water all the time has no oxygen for the fungi to utilize. No oxygen, no decay....also known as....."why don't logs rot on the bottom of the lake?"

Sealing off the humidity and oxygen with repeated uses of a high quality sealer may slow the decay process, or maybe that's CODIT working.

I've yet to ever see anyone seal wounds on a tree 4 to 6 times a year until wall 4 closure, and I've seen many trees (dissection) in which decay was stopped very near the point of prior wounding, and no sealers were ever used.

Many, many variables, (with species, vitality, maturity, and degree of wounding being the four most important to me), determine the ability of a tree to stop decay, or succumb to it.

In the big picture, pruning sealers are a feel good measure, and very little more. Save the sealer for your deck....trees have been engineering themselves to deal with decay for eons before the first bottle of snake oil was sold to anyone.

Disclaimer:Oaks and Elms trimmed/wounded during the growing season should have the wounds sealed, for the reason of preventing the transmission of oak wilt and DED.

 

[HuskStihl]

So I had a branch on my prize live oak break and I cut the remaining off. What should I seal with? Thx

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Any pruning sealer or even latex paint will do, Jon. You're just creating a barrier to stop sap and keep the pugs from spreading the fungus. Jeff

 

[68 Buick]

I've notice painting wounds ( cuts ) seems to be seasonal due to the fact some trees can be real bleeders and paint does not adhere to the wound.

 

[sgreanbeans]

So I had a branch on my prize live oak break and I cut the remaining off. What should I seal with? Thx

They also have a product called TreeKote, site sponsor, made for that exact purpose, sealing oaks when ya have too work on them in the summer. Its the lesser of to evils, the wound wont callous properly, and it will create a pocket over time. But it keeps the bug away and that's more important. Mae for the "have too's" like a storm that bust's up some branches. Still gotta go up and make it safe and clean it up, so you will have open wounds and the bugs are waiting their turn to feed, so if ya do it, do it quickly.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

I know A&M reccomends painting oak cuts within 24 hrs, we usually carry paint up with us.

 

[hardpan]

Is there a systemic fungicide to apply to the ground beneath a tree with oak wilt or other fungus problems?