SeanS
Omono
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Cutting paste keep on or remove
- Thread starter maroun.c
- Start date
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Here are the last of the test subjects.
First no treatment:
not really a fair test as the pruned trunk has died back.
Japanese sealer
and more of the commercial pruning sealer
First no treatment:
not really a fair test as the pruned trunk has died back.
Japanese sealer
and more of the commercial pruning sealer
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
and in the spirit of full disclosure, in case some one is counting up the starting and finishing numbers, one final sealed trunk
That one is the only sealed cut with almost no callus.
I think that can be put down to the really poor roots on the tree
That concludes this year's look at whether wound sealers help bonsai cuts heal. I will leave it to viewers to draw conclusions but this test has further strengthened my belief.
Not sure whether any of these will still be here next winter. If a few do not sell I will try to remember to update then.
Any comments @Jzack605 , @0soyoung
That one is the only sealed cut with almost no callus.
I think that can be put down to the really poor roots on the tree
That concludes this year's look at whether wound sealers help bonsai cuts heal. I will leave it to viewers to draw conclusions but this test has further strengthened my belief.
Not sure whether any of these will still be here next winter. If a few do not sell I will try to remember to update then.
Any comments @Jzack605 , @0soyoung
Bnana
Chumono
Nice test. this is much more insightful than discussing it without a proper comparison.
Now we can discuss whether it needs to be fancy Japanese sealer or whether the cheap local stuff is just as good ;-).
Now we can discuss whether it needs to be fancy Japanese sealer or whether the cheap local stuff is just as good ;-).
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
My only new thought is whether there is something unusual about a. bergeranum. It seems that 'every' demo of the miracles of cut paste uses a. bergeranum. I have lots of different species of maples, but no a single trident.
One of my blobs of putty fell off about a month ago. I cannot make a decent photo, so it will wait until have to wait until the end of this season. I could not discern any difference in the closure where the putty was versus wasn't. My trees are a. plamatums.
Again, immediately applying a moisture barrier/preserver to exposed cambium prevents it from desiccating or dying back and effectively making the wound larger and, hence, take longer to 'heal'. On this point we agree. But whether keeping the lip callused lip covered influences further growth remains moot, IMHO.
Jzack605
Chumono
Definitely an interesting experiment. I’m not crazy about the cuts on some of the no seal examples and their ability to properly compartmentalize. But you have definitely touched on something, and good to see a visual example. I come from an arboricultural background so the negative connotations I have toward the sealant stems from that. The ability to seal over, or if it’s even necessary to do so, is just one concern. Disease and rot is another. Though when pruning oaks in the summer, which is not recommended, we are returning to sealant to protect against oak wilt transmitted through borers.
Would be an interesting lab trial with a bigger sample size, more controlled environment and expand to other species.
Would be an interesting lab trial with a bigger sample size, more controlled environment and expand to other species.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I know recent hort teaching is against sealers and now I am interested to hear there may be a return to this practice.
One of the reasons for not using sealers was that the sealer would stop the callus growing over the sealed wood. From this trial that does not appear to be the case. The new callus around the wound has sealer over the top of the new bark which suggests that the callus is growing between the sealer and the old wood.
In my trials sealing over cuts appears to have reduced the amount of rot. In some very large cuts the exposed wood just does not last long enough for the healing to cover without the use of some wood preservative or sealing to extent the life of exposed dead wood.
On the strength of this trial I will be trying other species next. I grow some Japanese maples, crabapples and pines so there should be some opportunities to test a few more species this winter and next summer.
One of the reasons for not using sealers was that the sealer would stop the callus growing over the sealed wood. From this trial that does not appear to be the case. The new callus around the wound has sealer over the top of the new bark which suggests that the callus is growing between the sealer and the old wood.
In my trials sealing over cuts appears to have reduced the amount of rot. In some very large cuts the exposed wood just does not last long enough for the healing to cover without the use of some wood preservative or sealing to extent the life of exposed dead wood.
On the strength of this trial I will be trying other species next. I grow some Japanese maples, crabapples and pines so there should be some opportunities to test a few more species this winter and next summer.
Jzack605
Chumono
Curious as to how you confirmed that it reduced rot.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Only observing that cuts not sealed have rotted out in 4 or 5 years before healing over. Sealed cuts still have solid wood after the same time and can eventually heal over fully.
Jzack605
Chumono
Well with the sealed cuts you’re only getting part of the picture without a dissection.
Although a smaller, more vigorous tree should be more capable of compartmentalizing.
Although a smaller, more vigorous tree should be more capable of compartmentalizing.
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Referring back to post #20, @Shibui
with blob of putty I applied Jul2019
After removal today 
with the putty I applied Jul2018
After removal today 
in this case, the putty in this case fell off in spring 2020
One more not recorded in post #20, putty
putty removed today 
Again, these instances are on two acer palmatum air-layer clones (i.e., two distinctly separate, but genetically identical trees). I'll stay with my contention that sealing exposed cambium is a good thing, but that it has no real effect subsequent to an epiderm haring reformed over it. But it appears that NEEM doped putty is counter productive to the growth of new tissue over a wound.
with blob of putty I applied Jul2019
After removal today with the putty I applied Jul2018
After removal today in this case, the putty in this case fell off in spring 2020
One more not recorded in post #20, putty
putty removed today Again, these instances are on two acer palmatum air-layer clones (i.e., two distinctly separate, but genetically identical trees). I'll stay with my contention that sealing exposed cambium is a good thing, but that it has no real effect subsequent to an epiderm haring reformed over it. But it appears that NEEM doped putty is counter productive to the growth of new tissue over a wound.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Not sure what you used there. But it is not cut paste as I know it..
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks for posting your results. From the photos it looks like a poor result for sealing JM. I did note that the follow up pic from July 2018 (file 106) seems to show some good callus at top and bottom where the sealant was.
I have not heard of NEEM doped putty. The ones I use seem to produce much better results so I will steer clear of any sealer with neem for the time being.
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Like I said back in post #20
I worked in the NEEM manually (myself), the idea being that NEEM has label claims of being antifungal.
What does your cut paste have in it?
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Njyamadori
Chumono
NOT ON DEADWOOD !!! I only have a few trees and I never used cut paste because trees can do it themselves.
BubblePopScott
Mame
Does cut paste have hormones in it which promote healing?
MrWunderful
Omono
Ive heard people say it has indoleacetic (?) acid in it (the commonly used japanese putty style). But not sure if its been proven.
It doesnt promote “healing” per say as much as cel division, but I am not an expert so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Shibui
Imperial Masterpiece
I was also told that the Japanese cut paste has some hormones in it to aid healing but not sure if that is true and I can't read the Japanese labels.
Some of the trees above were treated with the Japanese cut paste an others with an off the shelf garden wound paint to see if there was any significant difference. I can't pick any difference between the types.
Some of the trees above were treated with the Japanese cut paste an others with an off the shelf garden wound paint to see if there was any significant difference. I can't pick any difference between the types.
Alain BERTRAND
Mame
I have two brands of Japanese cut paste. None of the labels have anything written about hormones so I think this is a legend.
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Reg post #20 and post #51:
After a subsequent year without any putty.
This instance can be seen to indicate that leaving putty in place long-term is detrimental.
And, this instance may, as well, though both instances just make clear that long-term coverage suppresses bark formation.
In this case, the wood that was under the putty went punky. I removed the punky wood this past spring and replaced it with epoxy. It seems reasonable that an unstable/rotting wood substrate would interfere with 'healing' growth, but ...
After a subsequent year without any putty.
This instance can be seen to indicate that leaving putty in place long-term is detrimental.
And, this instance may, as well, though both instances just make clear that long-term coverage suppresses bark formation.
In this case, the wood that was under the putty went punky. I removed the punky wood this past spring and replaced it with epoxy. It seems reasonable that an unstable/rotting wood substrate would interfere with 'healing' growth, but ...
