Tree Help Needed!

[Toby_2008]

Hi,

I saw a ray mears episode where he said that in spring you can use an axe to make a small chop in a silver birch tree and 'tap' the sap (to drink). So, I had a go on our silver birch and it tasted foul.

the tree however will not stop bleading even 2 weeks on. the cut is aprox 6mm deep and 4cm long. I have tride using glue gun glue and filler, neither worked.

So, how do i get it to stop? will it do it itself? if so how long? and will it die?

Cheers,

Toby

 

[launditch1]

when tapping birch you dont need anything bigger than the diameter of a biro pen.
Yes the tree is literally bleeding to death!
I dont know what to suggest to stop it though,sorry.
try using a small drill and only going just past the bark in depth next time.

 

[Shewie]

Could you find something to lay over the scar and try strapping it down with something like webbing. Not sure if that would heal it eventually or not.

There are a few forestry workers on here who might be able to help.

 

[Simon]

bandage with a cotton cloth

 

[Shewie]

Hi,

I saw a ray mears episode where he said that in spring you can use an axe to make a small chop in a silver birch tree and 'tap' the sap (to drink). So, I had a go on our silver birch and it tasted foul.

I can`t remember that episode Toby, are you sure he didn`t just nick the tree with the point of his knife to test if it was rising. A swooping chop with an axe sounds a little harsh to me.

 

[launditch1]

Was it the episode where he steeped some pine needles with the sap and called it woodcutters tea or summat??

 

[forestwalker]

check your garden supply store, IIRC some sort of tar is sometimes used

 

[Toby_2008]

Was it the episode where he steeped some pine needles with the sap and called it woodcutters tea or summat??

yep, he called it woodsmans tea.

 

[Treemonk]

Just press the wound together and let it get on with it - an inch-long gash should not kill a healthy birch tree. With a little time the site will callous and heal up. You would be amazed at the amount of damage most trees can sustain and live.

I work in forestry btw so hopefully?! know about this kind of thing...

 

[Peter_t]

best thing you can do is leave it alone, the tree wont bleed to death but you havnt done it much good either . there are many products that you can paint on wounds but they are proven to not work at all, dont prevent rot and in some cases worsen the trees chances.

pete

 

[HillBill]

Stuff it with moss or the papery bark from the tree. Then tack (or drawing pins) another square of birch bark from a dead tree over it to hold it all in. It will clog and seal it in a few days. Then remove the outer square.

Don't forget the antiseptic cream

Now for the bollocking.

NEVER USE AN AXE ON A TREE OR LIMB YOU ARE NOT CUTTING DOWN, PERIOD.

 

[addo]

If you still have the origonal peice of bark that you removed, if this was the case, then push back into place then gaffer tape all around the tree to hold into place, for a couple of weeks. This was standard practice at our college after the younger students had crashed there cars into trees and shrubs.
An open wound has already gained infection, but the constant flow outwards, and the covering up should all help. Peices of bark can re-attach sometimes if wounds are caught in time.

 

[Hobbit on a String]

Words have escaped this Hobbit,
Listen to Treemonk and the other Forest dwellers,
But dont F@@=++*&*& Hit a tree with an Axe unless you really need to, They hurt as well you know.
The Hobbit

 

[Ogri the trog]

I believe that in the same episode,
after drilling into the tree to tap the sap, he then makes a close-fitting birch plug to bung the hole. Round hole and a tight fitting round bung - not an axe gash! If you want to stop the flow, you might have to open up the wound and plug it properly - I'm sure there are photos here of the correct method of tapping birch sap.

Ogri the trog

 

[rapture]

Hi,

I saw a ray mears episode where he said that in spring you can use an axe to make a small chop in a silver birch tree and 'tap' the sap (to drink). So, I had a go on our silver birch and it tasted foul.

the tree however will not stop bleading even 2 weeks on. the cut is aprox 6mm deep and 4cm long. I have tride using glue gun glue and filler, neither worked.

So, how do i get it to stop? will it do it itself? if so how long? and will it die?

Cheers,

Toby

The sap will stop by itself when the leaves come. I think you can melt wax and seal the cut with if you want. But you probably have to wait until the sap stop for it to stick better to the cut. Native Americans collected huge amounts of sap by making a cut with an axe in the tree.

 

[kedwould]

the sap will thicken, like rapture said, when the leaves come and should heal, but like hoobit man dont hit trees unless you are chopping them down.

 

[Peter_t]

I think you can melt wax and seal the cut with if you want. But you probably have to wait until the sap stop for it to stick better to the cut.

dont ever put paint, tar, wax etc. over wounds! 'wound paint' such as arborex is a massive con, it doesnt help the tree in any way, in fact it can increces the chance of decay because water gets trapped beneath the layer of wax.

pete