I had to take a slightly larger limb than I prefer to cut off a tree in my yard today. A six inch limb at a major fork. If it was not at a fork I would not be concerned. The tree is fairly young, planted 15 years ago as
1.5" caliper. Some named variety of Honey Locust.I left a nice collar but I wonder if I might not be better off to make it a bit smaller so it can heal better.
If anyone in this group has knowledge about this topic I will post some pics with links.
Colbyt
Best to wait until the tree is dormant. Do apply anything to the cut, it will heal all by itself. All you need to do is keep it clean.
on 9/12/2009 5:37 PM (ET) Phisherman wrote the following:
My wife paints all cut with Elmer's Glue.
Paint it shut - keep it from properly healing over.
Did you *cut* at the collar or do you mean you left a stub?
A fork is where it *should* be cut; a mid-branch will never heal. Unfortunately, most people - including pros - butcher trees when they trim.
When cutting, you need to determine the location of the "collar" between limb and trunk. That location can be difficult to spot sometimes, depending on type of tree, but it is where the bark direction changes from vertical on the trunk to sideways at the limb. You need to cut just above the collar so that the cambium layer from the trunk can overgrow the cut. Here's a link to a photo (red = collar, blue = cut line)...
Thanks for the post and the picture link.
That pretty much is where I cut. I may sharpen the angle a little after I clear the mess and really study it. My branch was more vertical and that was the confusing part. The limb had to go no matter what the eventual outcome. Would have been better for the tree if I had done it years ago.
Colbyt
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