After-lopping Care For Your Trees
Posted on: 16 February 2016
Large trees require regular maintenance to keep them healthy. The best way to do this is by using a reputable tree services company to carry out the work. However, you'll also need to do your bit for your trees by ensuring that they are properly cared for following pruning and lopping. Read on to find out more.
Self-healing
When injury is inflicted on a tree during lopping or pruning, the wounds that are left must be correctly tended to prevent the entry of diseases and pests. Over time, the tree will grow its own seal over the ends of lopped branches to protect itself, but this is only possible if the branch collar is left intact. The branch collar is the area around the base of the branch where it joins the tree trunk.
A qualified arborist will prune your trees correctly after removing dead or diseased areas, so that they are able to heal themselves.
Wound dressings
Traditionally, gardeners applied wound dressings of tar or oil to seal the branches of newly-pruned trees. This was thought to keep away insects and prevent disease. However, the benefits of wound sealer have since been discredited. If you place a sticky substance over a wounded branch, you'll just be sealing in moisture and decay, which will prevent new wood tissue from growing. Sealed-in decay can also provide a buffet for any disease-causing pathogens that are present in the wood. In addition, whatever wound dressing you apply will soon dry out when exposed to the sun, forming cracks that make an ideal doorway for diseases.
You can help the tree in its healing process by using sticky, caterpillar and insect trap tape around the tree trunk. This is particularly useful for fruit trees in the springtime, when pests emerge to feed on developing leaves and buds, and gain access to this food source by climbing up the trunk.
Hydration and feeding
Any form of pruning will cause stress to your tree. The best way of helping your tree to recover from the experience is by making sure it is well-hydrated. Watering your trees after pruning will also help to encourage new growth during the recovery process.
You can encourage your tree to produce new tissue to seal its wounds by forking in a small amount of organic fertiliser around the tree's base. Forking also aerates the soil around the roots and encourages them to spread out and grow, providing extra nutrients to the recovering wood tissue.
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