The trees outside of our houses are exposed to the elements every day, and we prune it with sharp and powerful tools from time to time. It’s not surprising for there to be some wounds on the trees, and in most cases, these wounds are nothing to worry about. Many people believe that the best way to treat these wounds is to paint over them with a wood coating, but we will tell you right now that it’s not a good idea. In the best case, nothing will happen to the tree, but at worst, the wood could decay, killing the tree. If you’re still unconvinced that there are better ways to treat a tree wound other than painting over them, perhaps this article will change your mind.
Trees have been around for much longer than humans have, and they have been able to survive throughout all of those years. A little wound on a tree isn’t going to kill it, unless half of the trunk is cut completely through. If the branches are chopped down or if a lot of leaves are pulled from the branches, however, the plant’s coping mechanism will be triggered. This may mean that the branches will grow thicker and more leaves may sprout from twigs and branches. If you paint over stubs that have just been pruned, you may very well prevent the growth of new twigs and branches.
Trees are prone to contracting diseases too, just like people are. And also like people, one way they contract diseases is when they have an open wound that pathogens, viruses, or fungi can get into. This may cause deep-rooted problems within the tree. You may think that this makes painting over the wound a good idea, but on the contrary, it can actually have a detrimental effectto the defense mechanism of the tree. The tree wound has to be exposed to air for the self-curing mechanism of the tree to be effective. By painting over the wound, it can actually block out the air supply, causing the area to decay and making it easier for the pathogens to infect the tree.
Even if the tree doesn’t contract any diseases from the paint covering the wound, the paint can still hinder the recovery process of the tree. Depending on the type of the tree and the size of the wound, the recovery time will vary, but the one thing they have in common is that they need a sufficient supply of fresh air to heal properly. The paint can cut the tree off from the air that they need, which can slow down the recovery process.
Many experts agree that painting over the damaged area is not the best way to treat a wounded tree. It isn’t just only because of all of the mentioned issues, either. The harmful chemicals from the paint could seep into the wood, which can cause many problems to occur. If you really love your tree, you have to let it heal itself. We know that it’s hard for someone who truly loves trees to see a wounded tree and leave it, but trust us, it’s the best way to go.
At times, it can be best to remove the tree and replace it with a fresh, smaller tree. Brett Tree Services specializes in tree removalin Spokane, Washington. Get in touch today to see how we can help !
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