Sealing a colar cut with heat...good or bad?

[hobby climber]

Just had a thought today about spring pruning on maples. Not my area of expertise so I'm asking you guys your thoughts on this matter. Has anyone ever tried using a canister propane torch (or something) to cauterize a freshly cut surface after making a collar cut (4" & larger), to prevent it from leaking sap??? Just wondering if its been done before. Good or bad idea, please explain. Thanks for your help. HC

 

[skwerl]

I would guess that the torch would kill the living cells around the wound and therefore prevent it from creating a natural defense barrier or callousing over. Once you kill the wood, it can't come back to life and grow again. I'd vote a big 'NO' on torching.

 

[stoneland]

My gramps always painted the ends. I know that it is not recommended any more but if push comes to shove you can do that.


Can some one explain to me why this is not recommended any more? I think I was told in school but, I was to interested in the girl in front of me with the thong sticking out. lol

 

[skwerl]

Do a Google search on CODIT.

 

[Stumper]

Hobby, Cauterizing does work on animal tissue. I'm not sure it would cross over to plant tissue very well. What we need to wrap our minds around is that sap flow from cuts on Maples Birches and Walnuts is NOT a bad thing. The sap flushes away pathogens and the flow stops in due course. Sap is not blood and the tree will not bleed to death. More water, sugars and trace minerals would have gone into/through the limb had it remained uncut.

 

[stoneland]

paint a big no no unless pruning oaks in the spring, found that you should paint them to prevent the oak wilt blight (only in the spring). thanks skwerl.

p.s now I'm with that girl

 

[hobby climber]

Thanks to all who responded to this post. The reason I started it was because this past fall I noticed a number of trees (mostly maple), had what appeared to be staining or discoloration running below an old collar cut. Aside from looking ugly, I don't think it would be all that healthy for the tree. Keep in mind that all were from larger collar cuts 8" & bigger. Figured there has to be another way to prevent the light colored streaking caused by sap flowing after a cut. As far as using pruning sprays on larger cuts, I find it washes away with the sap flow after its applied! Back to you. HC

 

[Stumper]

If the staining was light in color it is merely dried sap-if the staining is black it mildewed-in either case the stain will wash away. (It does have the abillity to resist a goodly bit of rainfall before washing away but it will wipe of when wet)-Bottom line- it may not be a good thing but we have zero research showing a problem and a gazillion trees that are doing okay so I would suggest not sweating it. I used to advise customers to wait and prune Maples when the leaves are on-I no longer do so. I simply tell them that there may be sap flow that it is a little unsightly but not a health threat-we can go ahead without a problem or they can wait for leaf season if they wish.

 

[hobby climber]

Stumber, thanks a lot. Just want to make sure I don't do something stupid or cause damage to a customers tree. This is what I like about AS.com , it allows different ideas to be voiced and then acts like a sounding board so mistakes are not make. HC

 

[pbtree]

I vote no!

 

[xtremetrees]

I have trimmed maples during high sap. The raining tree effect had such an impact on me (Scared me) I vowed not to cut those particular trees again.
It was very erie to see the tree rain. It did so for 10 minutes.

 

[Stumper]

You know , if you time things right you can get some bennies. Prune on a warm late winter day immediately before the arrival of a cold front. If the temps have been up for several days sap flow will be high. If a couple of the cuts are located in areas that will drip rather than simply run down the trunk the dripping sap will freeze when the temps drop. Voila! Maple popsicles. One of my early memories was my Dad bringing home maple flavored natural popsicles from a job just up the hill from our house.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

It never bothered me. Not so much because it stops, but because the dripping is not a change from what occured before the cut.

Before the cut, water was moving from point A to point B.

After the cut, the water is still moving in the direction of point A to point B.

So nothing really changes. The cut basically opened a visual opportunity to see what was previously hidden.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

That's just water, why is it so sweet tasting?
I thought maybe the water was full of the products of photosynthesis, and the tree worked hard to make it.
Where does all that water come from? I assume it comes from parts of the tree above the cut. Does the cut drain the vascular tubes and if so, does it change the fiber saturation point?
What is it about Maples and other species that makes them bleed more?

 

[Stumper]

That's just water, why is it so sweet tasting?
I thought maybe the water was full of the products of photosynthesis, and the tree worked hard to make it.
Where does all that water come from? I assume it comes from parts of the tree above the cut. Does the cut drain the vascular tubes and if so, does it change the fiber saturation point?
What is it about Maples and other species that makes them bleed more?

Mike I don't think thta it is "just water". It is MOSTLY water, There are sugars and traces of other stuff in there.
Does it drain vascular tubes above the cut? I don't know. That does have more "gut" appeal than capillary action maintaining a flow up the tree from below. That being the case there may be a slight change from the ammounts that would hve gone up/out the severed limb and back down the trunk had it not been severed compared to what exits the tree after the cut. However I have been observing Maples for decades and have seen no evidence of decline from winter pruning and Dr. Shigo maintains that it isn't harmful.

I suspect that the 'bleeding' tendency of Maples and some other species is related to diffuse porosity as opposed to ring porous woods.