Can we talk about the obsession with pruning paint on every cut

I read a post last week where someone said you ALWAYS need to seal oak cuts during spring. I disagree. I have been leaving my oak pruning cuts unsealed for 5 years now and have had ZERO issues with oak wilt. My mentor back in Austin taught me that proper timing is WAY more important than paint. We prune oaks in July through January and skip the paint entirely. Has anyone else stopped using pruning sealer and seen better results on their trees?

3 comments

3 Comments

jenny58025d ago

12 years in and I've never sealed a single cut.

spencer_moore3925d ago

Used to think sealing was mandatory, @jenny580, but you might be onto something.

andrewt4112d ago

Jenny's got a point. People act like a tiny nick is a life or death situation. I've seen guys spray sealant like it's holy water on a hangnail and act like it's a major safety violation. Your mileage may vary but I bet most of those "infected cut" stories are from people not cleaning their gear properly in the first place. A fresh scrape washed with soap and water is probably fine 99% of the time unless you're rolling in mud or something.