How do I handle this branch collar?

[Seachaser]

I didn't realize pecans had such shaggy bark but I guess they do. Here's one of mine:

View attachment 1079858

My problem is I can't tell what is collar and what is limb wood.

Whatever it is, it's growing over top of the bark of the limb:

View attachment 1079861

View attachment 1079862

View attachment 1079863

If it's growing over top of the limb bark then it has to be collar, right? So do I cut that off?

Borrowed from another site.

 

[JustRandy]

Borrowed from another site. View attachment 1080372

Thanks but I learned that back in 2009 https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/limb-removal.89495/

In this case I can't tell what is collar and what is limb wood.



But I sent pics to the only ISA certified MASTER arborist within 50 miles of me and he said not to cut any living tissue. I told him some guys were saying that if I leave it as is it will rot out. He said "Yeah, a long time ago guys used to fill that hole with concrete, but that didn't work out too well." He said just cut off some of the dead wood so that the healing tissue won't have so far to grow. Other than that he said leave it alone.

I'm still looking for more opinions. I scheduled a consultation with another arborist in a couple weeks.

 

[JustRandy]

No, same thing= expanding foam, "bandaid" just meaning an aid to healing or reducing FUTURE rot (not a cure for existing rot)... MY limb led me to find the rot hollow trunk and led me to take the tree down... LATER storms I slept much better and now have grass like I NEVER had before

I wonder if your tree killed that limb because it was injured and growing in the shade so it wasn't giving back enough energy to justify keeping it around. That's what I think happened to my limb.

Mine was growing towards the north east and under the canopy of both the tree and another tree. It never saw direct sun. I think my tree killed it which explains why it fell so fast. In less than 1 year it went from having leaves to laying on the ground in pieces.

It broke where the sucker rotted out, but I think it would have died anyway.

 

[Seachaser]

Thanks but I learned that back in 2009 https://www.arboristsite.com/threads/limb-removal.89495/

In this case I can't tell what is collar and what is limb wood.

View attachment 1080503

But I sent pics to the only ISA certified MASTER arborist within 50 miles of me and he said not to cut any living tissue. I told him some guys were saying that if I leave it as is it will rot out. He said "Yeah, a long time ago guys used to fill that hole with concrete, but that didn't work out too well." He said just cut off some of the dead wood so that the healing tissue won't have so far to grow. Other than that he said leave it alone.

I'm still looking for more opinions. I scheduled a consultation with another arborist in a couple weeks.

Top left corner is your collar. Where it changes diameter.

 

[JustRandy]

Top left corner is your collar. Where it changes diameter.

Well, there can only be trunk wood and limb wood. Since the limb is dead what's left can only be trunk wood.

I've watched many videos and read many reputable webpages that warn to never open up the trunk wood when pruning a limb or else trunk rot is 100% guaranteed. One page even advised how to make a home for birds by nicking the bottom of the collar when pruning a limb, like it's perfectly acceptable practice to make a hole in a tree for the birds. http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning/doughnuts.html

Extended collars here: http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning/targets/extended_targets.html

There is no reason to open up a trunk wound and there is no reason to make the wound wider by cutting closer to the tree since it will only take longer to heal.

I'm still waiting on the opinion of one more arborist but I'm 99% sure following the advice of the master arborist is the way to go.