Wound closure: how to close large tree wounds

If a large branch was sawed off or the bark was severely damaged - for example by Deer bite - you should smooth the edge of the wound with a sharp knife and with a sealing agent treat. These home remedies are suitable for wound closure.

Wound closure can be harmful

Thanks to the research of the American forest scientist Alex Shigo, it has been known since the 1980s that the Airtight sealing of cuts on trees is more likely to cause damage than relying on the plants' self-healing powers trusted. There are a number of reasons for this:

• Disruption of the natural self-healing process by foreign substances
• Entrapment of fungi, bacteria and other pathogens through wound closure
• thereby promoting an infection

For this reason, it is now recommended to no longer treat cuts on trees and shrubs with an airtight wound remedy and instead to pay attention to these measures:

• thorough sharpening of cutting tools before application
• Cleaning and disinfecting the cutting tools before and after each use
• Do not leave any frayed wound edges, carefully cut out and smooth them out
• no stumps u. ä. leave
• no pruning in frost or rain

A notice: Cutting a tree in frost is dangerous because the cold can penetrate the wood and cause damage, for example through expansion or stress cracks. Rain, on the other hand, can introduce fungal spores into fresh cuts and thus promote infection.

When is wound closure useful?

Nevertheless, in some cases it makes sense to treat larger cuts on trees. In the following cases, you should use a suitable wound closure agent:

• very large or extensive wounds (eg. B. after cutting off a large branch with a saw)
• Cut back in late fall or winter
• weakened or diseased trees
• incorrectly executed cuts and/or unsuitable cutting tools (e.g. B. Cut back with blunt knives or saws resulting in frayed cuts)

Especially many fruit trees be in the cold season cut back, which, however, has the disadvantage of a lack of self-healing: During the hibernation, the tree cannot close the wounds itself with the so-called cambium, i.e. newly formed wood. Here you have to help with a suitable means. This is especially true when the weather is damp or sub-zero temperatures are imminent.

Trees that are already weak or diseased must also be cared for after pruning, as their Self-healing powers are limited and they are more susceptible to infections or even pest infestation are.

Tip: Strengthen the self-healing powers of the tree by regularly feeding it with home-made plant broths (e.g. B. out of nettle, tansy, field horsetail).

Appropriate home remedies

You can safely leave tree wax and co. from the trade. The following home remedies are much better for treating larger cuts on trees, especially since they continue to let air into the wood and their ingredients against fungi and other pathogens works. When treating wounds, make sure

• carefully cut out and smooth the cuts beforehand
• to keep clean
• not to be touched with bare fingers
• only treat the edges with the wound closure agent

The center of the wound surface should ideally remain open.

Tip: If possible, do not use tree, beeswax or candle wax as a wound sealant! These prevent later overflowing of the wound surface with cambium, so that healing is not possible. Wood or tree tar is also only suitable to a limited extent, as it takes far too long to harden.

1. loam or loam broth

Mix 10 parts loamy soil or loam powder from a specialist shop with one part algae lime and one part wood ash plus a little fresh, diluted horsetail broth to a smooth porridge. You can also use rock dust instead of wood ash. Leave the mixture for approx. Leave to swell for 12 hours and then apply to freshly cut wounds. This coat can also be used as a trunk coat in winter as it protects against too much sun and pests nesting.

2. charcoal powder

charcoal powder or wood ash have an antiseptic and antibacterial effect and can therefore prevent possible infections. You can easily make the home remedy by crushing it in a mortar. Alternatively, place the charcoal in a bag and smash with a hammer. Then sieve out the fine particles. Mix the powder with some horsetail broth to make a thick paste. To close the wound, this is immediately applied by hand to the freshly cut wounds and pressed on with your fingers.

A notice: Only use on dry days, otherwise the powder can be washed off or blown away.

3. cow dung

Many an old gardener also swears by clay mixed with cow dung when closing wounds. The resulting layer protects against the cold on the one hand and prevents the tissue from drying out on the other. The cow dung also supplies the damaged areas with valuable nutrients and thus accelerates regeneration Add one part cow dung to the basic mixture from the first point or two parts clay with one part cow dung and one part Mix in the rock flour.

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