All gardeners, even those with only one tree, face the problem of pruning trees sooner or later. But removing unnecessary branches is not all. The question arises: what to do with the cut point? How to process it and is it necessary to do it at all? How to make putty for wood? Let's figure it out.
Basic Recipes
There are perhaps as many recipes for processing the cut, cracks in the bark as there are gardeners. But there are basic trends that everyone who wants to make their own changes, based on the circumstances.
Tree putty used for processing:
- cracks caused by sudden changes in temperature;
- hollow in tree trunks;
- areas affected by frost or spring sunshine;
- branches after pruning or grafting;
Some gardeners believe that it is not necessary to treat wounds. This is explained by the fact that no one treats trees in a wild forest, but they grow. This happens too. Although who knows why the trees in the forest die.
Wounds on fruit treestrees usually lead to their death. Who wants to risk losing a tree planted with their own hands, bearing fruit?
Why cover up wounds
- The larger the cut area, the higher the amount of moisture that comes out through it. This weakens the tree.
- Cracks form at the cut.
- Through the wound pathogens, fungi can get inside.
If the bark is damaged, you need to remove it with a sharp clean knife to the wood with a margin, that is, cut it off a little and he althy. This place is treated with a disinfectant and var (or putty).
You can not close the wound, but place inside the tissue treated with a growth accelerator. Then wrap it with dark polyethylene.
It turns out that the tree itself releases wound acid, which promotes callus formation and wound healing. Therefore, a cleaned wound wrapped in polyethylene, even without the use of heteroauxin (growth accelerator), heals several times faster than an untreated one. It is only necessary from time to time to check if the bandage has cut into the bark, and loosen it.
Better to prevent wounds. But this is not always possible. Therefore, treatment should be started as early as possible.
How to prevent damage
Part of the damage does not depend on the person. It's freezing and sunburn. But they can also be prevented. Wrapping the trunks for the winter, digging in the vine will help preserve the plants. In early spring, whitewashing the trunks and branches of young trees with lime will protect them from burns.
Even the consequences of a windbreak can be prevented by properly forming the crown and adjusting the load of fruits on the branches.
But in some cases we ourselves inflict wounds on trees. This occurs during pruning during crown formation and during grafting.
How to reduce the harm from pruning
- Do not prune trees in summer. It is better to do this in early spring, starting from the end of February, when the threat of severe frosts has passed. Can be pruned in autumn. But it is not known whether the wound will heal before winter.
- Start forming the crown immediately after planting the tree. You need to learn to see it, projecting each of the branches and even buds for several years to come. If you constantly correctly prune thin shoots, then cardinal will not be needed for several decades. If the cut branch was 1.5-2 cm in diameter, then the trace from it will quickly drag on on its own. No further processing is required.
- It is advisable to prune during a period when there is no rain.
- The cut should be even and smooth. All notches, “steps” must be removed. If the branch you are cutting is covered with old bark, it must first be stripped.
- Sawdust is carefully swept from the hemp before processing the cut.
Commercially available tree putty
- Garden Var is good for small areas.
- BlagoSad garden putty for tree bark has good reviews. Wounds, cracks after its use are overgrown by the middle of summer.
- Garden pasta "RanNet" is highly valued by gardeners. She isdoes not harden like garden pitch, is well applied to cuts and wounds, disinfects and heals wounds with high quality.
- Entomological glue.
How to make your own putty
Not all gardeners are satisfied with the quality of products sold in stores. They prefer DIY garden putty for trees. They use old, well-known recipes and create their own. See which remedy best cares for trees.
Clay putty can be considered the simplest. It can be mixed with mullein. This will make the putty more viscous and reliable, it will stay in place longer. Add 1 liter of ash to a bucket of clay and mullein. The mixture is diluted with water or 1% copper sulphate to make it soft. Vitriol will protect against diseases or help in their treatment.
There are opponents of clay in the processing of trees. They say that this material cracks in the summer, dries quickly and begins to draw moisture from the wood.
Many advise to process the cut with copper sulphate, then with oil paint on natural drying oil. They use water-based paint, updating it as it is washed off.
Some gardeners use cement mortar to seal hollows. Cracks in the bark are covered with a tool called "liquid nails".
Mounting foam is used to preserve hollows, but it is dangerous for wood.
Putty "Forsita"
One of the oldestrecipes known to gardeners for several centuries. To prepare the putty, mix 100 g of river sand, 800 g of lime and ash. Combine with the same amount of cow manure (1600 g). Mix thoroughly to obtain an ointment of dough consistency. It should easily overlap the cut, but not slide off it.
When the putty for trees is applied half a centimeter thick, it is sprinkled on top with a powder obtained from 60 g of ash and 10 g of chalk.
This remedy does not keep for a long time, so it is prepared immediately before use.
Do not use during rain: cooking is inconvenient, and it will wash off quickly.
Var "Leforta"
This do-it-yourself wood putty requires more complex preparation, but it can be stored. To prepare it, take 100 g of rosin, 40 g of cow fat, 300 g of alcohol.
Rosin is melted over low heat, fat is added. When they melt, cool the mixture a little and pour in the alcohol. The finished product is bottled to the top and tightly closed.
Var Rajewski
It can be made by anyone who can get linseed oil.
- Resin - 400g
- Rectified alcohol - 60 g.
- Flaxseed oil - 2 tbsp. l.
Having melted the resin, warmed alcohol is introduced into it, constantly stirred. Add oil. The finished product is poured into a dish with a wide neck. The fact is that during storage the product hardens, so it will be problematic to remove it from the bottle. Before use, they collect the right amount, warm it up to the kind in which the putty fortrees will easily overlap the surface of the wound.
Zhukovsky's ointment
Ingredients for making this remedy are rosin, yellow wax and he althy. They are taken in equal parts, softened, and then mixed in a common bowl. The cooled product is placed in a bowl with water. There she cools off. Form a cake, place in thick paper.
Putty is used for cutting trees at a high enough temperature when the ointment is not very hard. To prevent wasps from spoiling it, cover the place of application with a rag or other material.
Funds from petroleum products
The paraffin is melted, the rosin is crushed. Mix 6 parts of paraffin, 3 parts of rosin, 2 parts of any oil. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then knead and hide in a jar. Close firmly.
Ointment with nigrol and paraffin
Nigrol, paraffin and rosin in equal parts are heated in different dishes, mixed, pouring paraffin and rosin into nigrol. Hiding in jars.
There is an opinion of gardeners that the use of petroleum products (paraffin, nigrol) is by no means worth it. Trees die from chemical burns.
Other gardeners say that this is the most effective putty for tree wounds.
When to cover up
You need to process the cut point immediately after trimming. At this time, the cambium has not dried yet, so the new bark will recover faster.
If you find that the bandage is destroyed, remove it,treat with copper sulfate and apply a new one.
How many times to apply putty
It depends on the quality of the product, weather conditions and the condition of the tree. If the tree putty is washed away by rain or cracked in the sun and falls off, repeat the application. Perhaps it makes sense to try another remedy.
Sometimes the putty appears to be tightly fitting the area. But cracks have formed in it, and moisture enters through them inside, causing the process of decay. In this case, you need to urgently remove the protective layer and treat the wood.
In order for wood putty to hold tightly in place after pruning, some gardeners fix it with bandages, old spunbond, strips of fabric.
Tree cuts can be wrapped with sphagnum moss, fixing it with twine or other materials.
If there is no clay and cow dung nearby, you can process the cut with ordinary soil from under the tree. The top is fixed with a bandage.
