Question About Healing Pruing 'Wounds'

I have several Cleveland Pear trees.

A neighbor who seems to be very knowledgeable has told me what limbs
to prune and why. Makes sense.

He also says to not use the stuff sold in hardware stores to 'coat'
the cuts, but to instead use a mix of latex paint and mouthwash (to

If coating of the pruned limbs isn't necessary, what about coating
pruned roots, that will be covered by dirt again, or by a section of
sidewalk?

Maybe I'm pretending the tree is like a human, but it seemed there was
more chance for infection in the cold wet earth of a root, than in the
fresh air of a limb.

Remove NOPSAM to email me. Please let
me know if you have posted also.

kill germs).

I never heard of this one - but it seems possible.

Any comments anyone?

Don't prune too close to the trunk (don't cut into the "swollen" bit
around the base of the branch) and don't paint over the cuts with
anything. A healthy tree has plenty of natural response to losing
branches and will repair itself quite happily.

I think painting over the wound was old school. As a (coffee) farmer
and we need to prune each tree, in some fashion, annually, I do see
limbs heal perfectly without any thing applied. As someone mentioned
above, do not cut too close to the trunk of the tree. It needs to make
a collar over the wound.

aloha, Thunder

Seems unanimous, I really thought 'wound dressing' would be a
benefit. So did my advisor, who impressed me with his knowledge.

Yeah, i heard don't put anything on it, also.
But it was also important to make the cuts such as they don't trap
water, and drain well.
It all sounds like surgery on people.

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Farmers of 100% Kona Coffee
& other Great Stuff

Question About Healing Pruing 'Wounds' - trees.