Hot take: I thought pruning sealers were a waste of money until last spring

I fought using pruning sealers for years. Figured they were just another product to sell to homeowners. But after a big oak limb I cut in March got some kind of fungal infection that spread down the branch, I decided to try a sealer on the next cut. That was 14 months ago on a maple in my neighbor's yard, and that wound healed way cleaner than anything I'd left bare. Not saying it's for every tree, but on certain oaks and maples, my experience says it helps. Anyone else changed their mind on a tool or product they used to trash talk?

2 comments

2 Comments

alice_barnes359h agoTop Commenter

Yeah @lucas159 I get what you're saying about cherry trees but just a heads up sap bleeding from stone fruits is actually called gummosis and it's usually a stress response not just a cut issue. The sealer might have helped but the sap itself isn't really a sign of infection most of the time. Still glad it worked out for ya though.

lucas15914h ago

You ever had a cherry tree bleeding sap like crazy after a bad cut? I used to leave everything bare too, but a big wound on a cherry in my yard kept weeping and attracting bugs for weeks. Finally slapped some sealer on it, and within a month it was drying up clean. Not a miracle cure, but it stopped the mess and the insects from hanging around. That sold me on keeping a tube around for the messy ones.