Q. My plum tree is 10 years old and I dumbly cut some
secondary branches two or three months ago. The tree was infected or inhabited
by some bug that had dozens of points with sap dripping for a few years now.
It’s lost most of its leaves already. Should I cut and run?
secondary branches two or three months ago. The tree was infected or inhabited
by some bug that had dozens of points with sap dripping for a few years now.
It’s lost most of its leaves already. Should I cut and run?
A. You can usually cut small branches from the tree at
any time. But if you cut larger branches from the canopy and it opens the tree
and the interior limbs to direct sunlight during the summer months you could be
in big trouble.
any time. But if you cut larger branches from the canopy and it opens the tree
and the interior limbs to direct sunlight during the summer months you could be
in big trouble.
.JPG) |
| Plums are very sappy trees. they produce alot of sap when injured. Here a limb was cut when the tree was actively growing and it exudes sap as a reaction to being wounded. the sap helps cover the wound and protects it. if bugs like borers are in the damaged area there is a good chance they will be suffocated. |
Never
remove major branches from a tree just prior to, or during, the summer months.
Larger branches should only be removed in the winter.
remove major branches from a tree just prior to, or during, the summer months.
Larger branches should only be removed in the winter.
Your
plum is not tender to winter cold but if a tree is tender to the low
temperatures of our valley there might be freezing damage during the winter. In
cases like these you delay pruning until you just start to see new growth
coming out in the spring.
plum is not tender to winter cold but if a tree is tender to the low
temperatures of our valley there might be freezing damage during the winter. In
cases like these you delay pruning until you just start to see new growth
coming out in the spring.
.JPG) |
| Here Pittosporum was cut back and sunburn resulted and dieback of the plant to shaded areas. |
Cutting
some branches will not cause the leaves to fall off of the tree unless there
were some major problems going on. Make sure that the leaf drop did not just
happen for other reasons such as the water was accidentally turned off or the
source of water was plugged.
some branches will not cause the leaves to fall off of the tree unless there
were some major problems going on. Make sure that the leaf drop did not just
happen for other reasons such as the water was accidentally turned off or the
source of water was plugged.
I would
water deeply now with a hose and again in about one week and see what happens
over the course of the winter. If the branches are dead, they will snap like a
twig. If they are still alive, they will be supple and bend without snapping.
If they are supple, then wait and see what happens this next spring.
water deeply now with a hose and again in about one week and see what happens
over the course of the winter. If the branches are dead, they will snap like a
twig. If they are still alive, they will be supple and bend without snapping.
If they are supple, then wait and see what happens this next spring.