My oak tree is leaking - Ask Extension
Hello. I cut off a low hanging branch right where it connected to the trunk that was about 6 inches in diameter and 10 feet from the ground about 15 y...
Knowledgebase
My oak tree is leaking #665875
Asked July 18, 2020, 7:12 PM EDT
Hello. I cut off a low hanging branch right where it connected to the trunk that was about 6 inches in diameter and 10 feet from the ground about 15 years ago and it's still leaking sap from that point. Is it bad for the tree in potential insect harm and can I do anything to help it heal. We've cut several similar low branches on the tree previous to the leaker that healed up
Wayne County Michigan
Expert Response
Hello,
This pruning wound was infected with a bacteria, leading to a very common bacterial infection called wetwood. There is really nothing that is done for trees with wetwood, except to make sure they have access to adequate water and nutrients. (Always test the soil to determine whether fertilizing is necessary; over- fertilizing does more damage than under-fertilizing.) Pruning during the dormant season can help avoid this infection. Trees can live for decades with wetwood, because healthy trees are able to seal off areas of disease so that they don't spread throughout the tree. As far as insects go, the fluid running down the bark is not the sweet sap of a freshly-cut branch, so will not attract the sap beetles that carry oak wilt spores. Here is more information on wetwood: https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-diseases/wetwood#:~:text=Wetwood%2C%20also%20known%20as%20slime,redbud%2C%20sycamore%2C%20and%20tuliptree.
This pruning wound was infected with a bacteria, leading to a very common bacterial infection called wetwood. There is really nothing that is done for trees with wetwood, except to make sure they have access to adequate water and nutrients. (Always test the soil to determine whether fertilizing is necessary; over- fertilizing does more damage than under-fertilizing.) Pruning during the dormant season can help avoid this infection. Trees can live for decades with wetwood, because healthy trees are able to seal off areas of disease so that they don't spread throughout the tree. As far as insects go, the fluid running down the bark is not the sweet sap of a freshly-cut branch, so will not attract the sap beetles that carry oak wilt spores. Here is more information on wetwood: https://www.mortonarb.org/trees-plants/tree-and-plant-advice/help-diseases/wetwood#:~:text=Wetwood%2C%20also%20known%20as%20slime,redbud%2C%20sycamore%2C%20and%20tuliptree.
