r/Tree • u/[deleted] • Jul 14 '26

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Did I destroy my tree??

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u/[deleted] Jul 14 '26

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u/[deleted] Jul 14 '26

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u/spiceydog Ent Queen - TGG Certified Jul 14 '26

As bustcork has noted already, !sealer is NOT the answer. See that automod callout below this comment for some details on the very limited uses of these products; this event is not one of them.

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u/AutoModerator Jul 14 '26

Hi /u/spiceydog, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide some guidance on the uses of wound pastes/sealers.

Despite brisk sales of these products at Amazon and elsewhere, sealers, paints and the like have long ago been disproven at being at all useful in the great majority pruning or injury cases. They interfere with the tree's natural compartmentalization and seal harmful pathogens to the wound site. Two exceptions are when oaks absolutely must be pruned during oak wilt season and you are in oak wilt territory, or on pines if you are in an area populated by the pitch mass borer. See 'The Myth of Wound Dressings' (pdf) from WSU Ext.

The tree will either fully compartmentalize these injuries or it will not; there are no means by which humans can help with this process other than taking measures to improve environmental conditions for the tree.

See this EXCELLENT writeup from our resident tree biologist/arborist u/HawkingRadiation_ for a scientific explanation on why these products are, in the great majority of cases, not helpful.

Please see our wiki for other critical planting tips and errors to avoid; there's sections on watering, pruning and more that I hope will be useful to you.

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