Will_Heath

Matt, I took two collected eastern hemlocks TSUGA CANADENSIS that were in need of height reduction and performed trunk chops 14" above the soil line on each tree.

Both trees were collected in the spring of 2003 and planted into a pond plant container (these are plastic square pots that have many screen holes on all sides and bottom, I find that they allow for superior drainage and root development) with slight root reduction. Both trees are in a mix of turface/sand/firbark/peat.

This spring I performed the root chops without any other purning, shaping, or wiring. While I was pressing the gray clqy into the wound on the first tree my thoughts ran to articals I have read stating that wound treatment is not needed, after all trees have survived without wound treatments for about 200,000 years.

The second tree I simply took a stick of chinese ink (find this at art supply stores in a stick form) put a couple drops of water on a paper plate and rubbed the stick into it. I brushed the ink on with a small paint brush.

My experiment has flaws as I stated, first hemlocks are very slow growers, second, I should have a control tree with nothing at all on the wounds and third I took no before pics as the experiment was just to satisfy my curiousity.

To answer your questions:

I am trying to show to myself that either treating wounds is a waste of time and resourses or that it is indeed needed. I have always treated wounds bigger than a pencil eraser and will continue to do so until I can be sure otherwise.

As I said in my previous post, so far there is no noticible difference between these two trees to date, it may in fact be years with this species before I'll have a solid answer.