Help with fractured main branch on citrus tree

[Gerardo]

Hello everyone,

My citrus tree has some wind damage. It's been over two weeks, and am wondering if it's too late to patch this up somehow.

1) Is it best to provide support and just let it heal, left to its own devices?

2) Is there a patching compound (homemade or store bought) anyone recommends?

I will be driving in some wood to provide support at the fracture point, that is a definite.


Thanks for the guidance.

[Labradors2]

Oh that's a shame. I hope it will survive!

Patching compound isn't recommended these days.

I think you could help it a little by trimming those branch stubs back to the branch collar so that proper healing can take place. Here is a decent website that explains it in detail: http://statebystategardening.com/sta...pruning_trees/

Good luck!
Linda

[ginger2778]

Gerardo, just go to Youtube and search for how to repair broken branches. There is a great one 4 minutes long by this old house guys. Several ideas on other vids.

[Salsacharley]

Last year I had a main branch on a peach tree crack and split and I didn't even know it until after I harvested the peaches and could get deep inside the tree to see it. I hooked up a motorcycle strap (with the ratchet feature) between the split branch and a big healthy branch directly opposite and tightened the strap until the split closed up tight. Then I propped a support board under the split to the ground so there was no way any weight stress could bear on the broken limb. This year the branch produced magnificently and showed no signs of breaking...although I have kept the motorcycle strap on the tree continuously and supported the branch again this year with a board to the ground. I'm treating it like wounded creature and it has responded well.

[loulac]

I wouldn't leave such an open wound untreated, lots of germs will fall on it. I suggest a coat of black lquid tar sold for that purpose (I can't suggest a U.S. brand). If you insist on remaining 100% organic you can lay a thiick coat of clay on the wound. I hope Linda won't mind my giving an opinion different from hers !

all the best

[Worth1]

I dont see that ever healing properly and I think it needs to be pruned back.
It will continue to be a weak spot as the wood will never grow back together.
The bark and new wood will grow around it maybe but not the damaged wood.
This is one of the reasons people should prune trees, so this doesn't happen.

Worth

[loulac]

The master has spoken. I hadn't noticed there were deep slits in the tree trunk. If the branch on the left can rest on some kind of stand (a forked branch) it may last some time.
A picture of the whole tree would be helpful. I would try to save the tree even if chances are small.

[Labradors2]

Originally Posted by loulac

I wouldn't leave such an open wound untreated, lots of germs will fall on it. I suggest a coat of black lquid tar sold for that purpose (I can't suggest a U.S. brand). If you insist on remaining 100% organic you can lay a thiick coat of clay on the wound. I hope Linda won't mind my giving an opinion different from hers !

all the best

There has been some new thinking on the subject of pruning sealer. Here's one blurb that I found:

http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/yard/2001/021001.html

"Many pruning sealer compounds are black and contain asphalt. This black material absorbs our New Mexico sunlight and becomes quite hot. The heat can kill the tender cells that the tree produces to close the pruning wound and in that manner delays wound closure and compartmentalization. Lighter-colored materials do less damage, but any containing a petroleum-based solvent can damage newly developing wound closure cells.
Scientific research has shown that the pruning sealer is not necessary. Much more important is proper pruning technique. "

Hope this helps,
Linda

[Worth1]

Well I'm not a master but know how trees grow.
All that wood inside the bark where the horrible multi split is has been compromised.
It wont grow back together and it wont heal only the outer bark might, then continue on to grow outwards.
The tree can be saved if the bad place, tree and all connected to it is cut off and allowed to grow a new tree from a new sucker.
This will happen fast due to the huge root system it already has.
Something like this happened to one of my loquat trees and I did the same thing after fooling with it for awhile.
Now it is a nice straight tree again.

From what I can tell from the pictuer is the tree was growing off to an angle and the wind started it to oscillate back and forth twisting the trunk till it couldn't take it anymore and fractured.
I can almost see it in my mind now.

Worth

[loulac]

Just follow Worth's suggestion. Cut off the tree trunk low enough to just keep healthy wood. A saw doesn't make a perfectly clean cut, improve it with a knife, the cut of the bark and of the nearest wood should be perfect. Protect the whole cut with an adequate product (Swede tar in my place). New growth will start in spring.
Be optimistic, nature can do wonders.