Oh, Wounded Tree
June 7, 2009 10:06 PM Subscribe
A large branch from the young red bud tree we had planted eighteen months ago was broken during a storm earlier this week. What can I do to ensure its survival?
The branch held about 35% of the trees leaves and broke off at the trunk, leaving a long strip of the tree's wood exposed (approximately one inch wide and seven inches long). The wound is around 40" off the ground, or about one-third of the way up the tree. It also cuts into the trunk about an inch at the deepest point and the trunk is probably only three inches thick there.
The tree was doing quite well before Wednesday's storm and it seems to be doing OK so far. Pending some good advice, I have not put pruning compound on the wound or do anything else other than cut off the severed branch and water it a couple of times.
Will the tree survive? What should I do to care for it?
The branch held about 35% of the trees leaves and broke off at the trunk, leaving a long strip of the tree's wood exposed (approximately one inch wide and seven inches long). The wound is around 40" off the ground, or about one-third of the way up the tree. It also cuts into the trunk about an inch at the deepest point and the trunk is probably only three inches thick there.
The tree was doing quite well before Wednesday's storm and it seems to be doing OK so far. Pending some good advice, I have not put pruning compound on the wound or do anything else other than cut off the severed branch and water it a couple of times.
Will the tree survive? What should I do to care for it?
As long as you made a good, clean cut near where the branch joined the next larger branch or trunk, leaving enough for a collar to form, your tree should do just fine. Even a wound as you describe will probably bark over, over time.
Tree paint/wound dressing is no longer recommended because it can create conditions amenable to fungi and such. There are limited circumstances where it may apply, but I wouldn't worry about your situation too much.
35% is a lot of a tree to lose, but unless you have a hot, dry summer, your tree will most likely bounce back, especially next year. I would focus on pruning the remainder of the tree next spring so that you encourage it to fill in the gap.
Even so, sometimes trees that were doing just fine stop doing just fine and die. I would put this tree into a mental category of crossed-fingers. It's not necessary to "ensure" its survival -- it's mainly a matter of your sunk costs (which probably aren't that great even if you count maintenance time).
posted by dhartung at 7:50 AM on June 8, 2009
Tree paint/wound dressing is no longer recommended because it can create conditions amenable to fungi and such. There are limited circumstances where it may apply, but I wouldn't worry about your situation too much.
35% is a lot of a tree to lose, but unless you have a hot, dry summer, your tree will most likely bounce back, especially next year. I would focus on pruning the remainder of the tree next spring so that you encourage it to fill in the gap.
Even so, sometimes trees that were doing just fine stop doing just fine and die. I would put this tree into a mental category of crossed-fingers. It's not necessary to "ensure" its survival -- it's mainly a matter of your sunk costs (which probably aren't that great even if you count maintenance time).
posted by dhartung at 7:50 AM on June 8, 2009
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I'm not sure you should use the pruning compound on the wound though. I went on a pruning-spree on all of the trees in my yard last year and researched a bit on the preferred methods. Almost universally, the resources said NOT to patch-over the pruned spots. The preferred approach was to let the tree heal itself. The wound you describe is easily smaller than a couple of the branches I took off my trees, and the trees have healed-over very nicely.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:37 AM on June 8, 2009