A cheap pruning sealer actually saved a mature oak I was sure was done for

Had a big storm hit my area in Richmond back in March. Split a 40 foot red oak right down the main crotch. Big tear, maybe 8 feet long. Normally I'd just clean it up and let it heal natural, never use sealers. But the homeowner begged me to try something. Picked up a $12 can of Tanglefoot from the hardware store, painted the wound. 4 months later the tree is pushing new growth and the split is callusing over fine. Did I just get lucky or does that stuff actually work on big wounds? Anyone else had good results with pruning paint on something that big?

3 comments

3 Comments

wilson.sam1mo ago

Funny how the biggest storms always hit the nicest trees. @elizabethhayes is probably right that health and timing did more work than the paint. A split like that closing in four months sounds more like the tree was already vigorous. Did you check for any rot or bugs when you cleaned it up?

the_holly1mo ago

Also check if branches rub together when it's windy, that'll split 'em open.

-1

elizabethhayes1mo ago

Three years ago I had a 50 year old pin oak with a similar split from ice damage. I cleaned the wound and left it alone, no sealer. That tree is still healthy and the callus closed over just fine. I think your result has more to do with the tree being healthy and the timing of the cut than the paint. Tanglefoot is basically just asphalt and latex, it can trap moisture and actually slow down the tree's own healing if you use it wrong. I've seen too many arborists swear by leaving big wounds open to air.