Advice to gardening pros: birch that "bleeds"

[C moa]

Hi everybody,
A few days ago I cut a branch from a birch and from a transparent liquid does not stop flowing (I imagine it is its sap).

Can you please tell me if it will stop on its own (but it has been running for two weeks already) ??
If my tree will die at the end of its sap ??
If it is necessary to do a particular action so that it stops to bleed (finally to dry) ??

Thank you in advance for your precious help.

[gegyx]

Humor mode:

It's spring !

The rise of sap.

It's not just the birch trees that work.

If the wound is still bleeding, you may have fallen on an artery.

If the poultice is not enough, try the tourniquet.

As a last resort, cauterization with a blowtorch.

[Christophe]

What diameter has the branch in question (or rather had)?

[bham]

Try a poultice with Norwegian tar or graft putty.

[Rabbit]

Nothing should be done.

In the future avoid cutting a birch branch
(valid for maple trees too) in winter or spring.

[highfly-addict]

The more extensive the injury, the more serious it is.
Two possible cases:

Either the branch has been cut flush of the trunk and there it will sink a long time, the tree will weaken a little and probably be attacked by fungi. If it survives, the tree will bear traces of the cut for a very long time (sometimes all its life).

Either the branch has been cut beyond its collar, in this case less worrying, it will flow while the tree "compartmentalizes" the wound then gets rid of its stub (the branch stump).

But in all cases the tar or the mastic will serve no other purpose than to "shelter" a pathogen in the process of settling, in fact the cut is two weeks old: it is therefore too late to apply an ointment. .

In addition, it is possible to drink birch sap which has a very popular purifying action to get out of winter "in good shape". In general, one is satisfied to drill a small hole in the trunk, one slips a straw there and one installs a bottle which collects the sap. When the harvest is satisfactory, we simply plug the hole. And we change trees the following year.

For those interested in the size and health of trees, I highly recommend reading Alex Shigo's work on CODIT.

[Christophe]

In the future avoid cutting a birch branch
(valid for maple trees too) in winter or spring.

In the spring I knew but in the winter? Isn't it the right time for all felling when the sap is "low"?

Should we cut them when birch and maple then?

[C moa]

Thank you all for your answers and advice

What diameter has the branch in question (or rather had)?

About 8 cm.

In the future avoid cutting a birch branch
(valid for maple trees too) in winter or spring.

In the future I would avoid cutting / pruning trees in the absence of my mom (they know all moms).

Normally the only prunings that I make myself concern sick trees or trees that take up all the space and prevent others from growing. To be clear, they end up in a log !!!

The more extensive the injury, the more serious it is.
Two possible cases:

Either the branch has been cut flush of the trunk and there it will sink a long time, the tree will weaken a little and probably be attacked by fungi. If it survives, the tree will bear traces of the cut for a very long time (sometimes all its life).

Either the branch has been cut beyond its collar, in this case less worrying, it will flow while the tree "compartmentalizes" the wound then gets rid of its stub (the branch stump).

I cut it about 15 cm from the trunk so I hope you're right, it is very differently this birch.

[Rabbit]

Should we cut them when birch and maple then?

In the fall before November valid for walnut trees (I
had forgotten those) too.

[cyril38]

Hello,

I too cut a branch of actnidia (kiwi) because it broke badly (as big as a pencil). Result, drip for 5 days!


Too bad all this lost sap (I didn't try to taste ...)
I had already tried cauterization and "chewing" but without success.

I just tried the tourniquet as suggested by gegyx: a piece of tight elastic and miracle !!!
When you know that the sap passes between the wood and the bark it was the right technique.
I'll send the tourniquet tomorrow ...