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Debate: Should you strip bark on fresh cuts or leave it be?
Old timer at a job site in Denver told me I was stripping too much bark off my pruning cuts, said I was exposing the cambium to rot. But my old mentor swore by cleaning it up neat for faster healing. Which side do you lean on and why?
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caseys301mo ago
...and that's why I spent a whole afternoon stripping bark off a single branch once, only to realize later it was already dead. I figure as long as you don't go full wood chipper on the cambium, a little neatness beats leaving it ragged. But what do I know, I'm the guy who once pruned a maple in July and wondered why it looked sad.
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pat_park1mo ago
OH MAN, your poor maple tree! I felt that one in my soul. Honestly I think a CLEAN cut is way better than a ragged mess, dead branch or not. That bark stripping thing though, that's a LIFETIME of patience I don't have. You're way more dedicated than me, I'm lucky if I even find the right branch to cut.
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