I thought tree wound paint was a must-do for years, but a study from the University of Florida changed my mind.

They showed it can actually trap moisture and slow healing, so I stopped using it on a big oak removal in Tampa last month. Has anyone else seen better results just letting a clean cut callus over on its own?

3 comments

3 Comments

terry_lewis216d ago

I had a Bradford pear in my old yard that I butchered with a handsaw back in 2018. I painted the stubs with that thick wound sealer. Two years later, the bark around every painted cut was sunken and cracked. I had to remove the whole tree. Since then, I just use sharp tools and cut close to the branch collar. The clean cuts on my current dogwood have closed up fine with no help.

jade5408d ago

Oh man, my buddy learned this the hard way. He slathered that goop on a maple after pruning, said it looked fine for a bit. Then a whole section of bark just got soft and peeled back a year later, it was a mess. The arborist he called said the exact same thing, that the paint sealed in rot. Now he just makes super clean cuts and leaves them alone. Seems crazy after years of being told to cover every wound.

jessicac288d ago

Yeah but that's one story on one tree. I've used the black tar stuff for years on my fruit trees and never had an issue, it keeps the bugs and damp out. Sometimes a bad cut is just a bad cut.