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lovetogrowflowers

Question about pruning and liquid coming from cut

lovetogrowflowers
14 years ago

I decided that my one of my brugs' stems were dead. I figured I might as well cut it off. I know nothing about brugs so I just started at the top pruning and working my way down on that one stem.

The lower I got it was still just a dead stick, hard, gray, peeling bark. I decided to go lower. Well that last cut, liquid started coming out and plus the branch had a little greener look to it. I stopped at that cut. However, 3 days later now after the cut, liquid is still coming out of that cut and actually running down the branch.

What did I do wrong? Ive never pruned anything. Is this normal? Did I kill it? What should I do now?

I've decided that if these two brugs dont make it I'm gonna start fresh with some newer ones and get them in the ground early. I got started very late last summer and these being my first as well.

Comments (14)

  • karyn1
    14 years ago

    I have no idea. I've never had that happen. Maybe a bit of oozing but never much and it stops almost immediately.

  • lovetogrowflowers
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks Karen. I have no clue either. Day 4 and it's still coming out. It seems to beca clear liquid. I cut back other branches right next to it and they're not doing it. I keep soaking it up with a dry washcloth. I check it later and it's wet again. Even running down the small stump is oozing from. Anyone else have a clue? There is foliage starting to come from this one as well, but it looks nasty. I wonder if there is anything I can do to make the oozing stop?

  • haase
    14 years ago

    There was a post last November, where the same thing happened; oozing for over 2 weeks and not stopping. I don't remember what the post was called.
    Somebody suggested to put baby powder on the wound to let is dry out, somebody suggested garden Sulfa, and somebody said to stop watering the plant for a while.
    Ingrid

  • ruth_ann
    14 years ago

    You have cut through some of the major pathways for distributing food from the roots to your plant. Think if it somewhat like cutting off a body-part.It will stop oozing when that cut seals and peripheral pathways dilate enough to take up the slack, just as when our heart arteries get blocked by a heart attack and the surrounding vessels have to then feed that area.
    Yes, you can use garden Sulfur to dust on the wound (or baby talcum powder), it helps absorb the fluid and create something like s scab over the wound and help seal it. As well as the Sulfur will assist in preventing bacteria entering the wound.
    Think of it along the lines of a Maple tree being tapped for Maple sap and you will understand, this happens more in the early spring I have found after they start waking up[ form a semi dormant winter. They do it in the fall for me as I cut the plants back to stumps and that is when I dust mine. :)

  • lovetogrowflowers
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks so much haase and ruthann. Ruthann, would you go with the sulfur or baby powder? I'm a newbie and hate to use a strong chemical and not know what I am doing. I also hate for bacteria to set in.

    I hate to admit, but I had to cut some more of it off. It had been dripping for 5 days now, and the wound looked terrible. Brown and mushy parts I cut off. I just couldn't stand to look at it. So, Is baby powder just as good or would you go with the sulfur?

  • lovetogrowflowers
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Well I went with the baby powder for now. Not sure how often I am supposed to apply it or how long til I see results. I do know that after one dusting, within minutes all the powder was wet and falling off so I dusted again. It's a bad oozing. The stem is no bigger round than a shampoo bottle top, but it's oozing a lot. Soaking up powder fast. How many times am I supposed to do this? I just know it will never stop :( almost a week now, just started powder yesterday. It's the only one to thus far that is showing new growth. I so wish it would hurry and stop oozing. :(

  • lovetogrowflowers
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Please someone reply here or contact me at ctaylor1016ATgmaildotcom and tell me how often I should be applying this baby powder and when I should see results. A week seems like a mighty long time for this to be oozing. Before adding the powder I cut more off, only because the oozing had caused it to turn brown and mushy looking. Now I have a thick looking wet chunk of powder sitting on it that's just keeps absorbing more and more ooze til I apply more. :( I hate to he a pest, but I took care of these all winter. Now I screw up by making a bad cut I guess. I just wish it would seal. Been reading about pruning sealer, bet read may just do more damage. Sigh. Help!

  • ruth_ann
    14 years ago

    It sounds like you are fighting a losing battle.
    Were it mine and the new fresh cut, powder and reduced watering didn't stop the oozing I would then try melted wax to seal the cut.
    I hope this particular Brug is one you love dearly and is worth all this work. If it isn't, toss it and start with a new one.

  • eloise_ca
    14 years ago

    I agree with Ruth Ann. Sounds like your brug has rotted so unless it is one you could never replace, I would throw it away.

  • haase
    14 years ago

    Here is what I did wrong:
    I have a lemon tree out front and I chopped off some branches. Because the cuts was rather bright and large like a silver dollar, I got some of my acrylic paint and dabbed some on there so then the cut was no longer visivle. But I also killed the lower part of those painted branches. Nothing will grow out from them any more, no side shoots, no leaves.
    I agree with the others. I wouldn't fuss with the oozing plant any more.

    Ingrid

  • lovetogrowflowers
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks folks. I'm not gonna give up just yet. Its still putting out new growth. I didn't know about the reduced watering so it had been getting some rain water. I took it out of the pot and its pretty damp. For now, since it may be a lost cause I have it sitting out of the pot to hopefully dry out faster.

    The other two I have are doing nothing yet. One was in the ground all winter, mulched well and the other was in a pot alongside this one with the oozing. I guess I'm impatient. This being my first time overwintering I cannot understand why one is putting out new growth and the other two (one in ground all winter and the other pot is not).

    Just worried I guess. I'm so so sorry to be a pest. I just want these to make it mainly because I did my best at trying to overwinter them. I'm not use to these brugs. I want to see new growth so bad, and I figured this week of warm weather we've had I would have seen something. But nothing thus far.

    It's confusing to a newbie when you have three and one is putting on new growth and the others not. Both that were in pots, I checked the roots they looked good. Both had new white roots on them. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

  • peony_tx
    14 years ago

    Don't give up! I had a plant that did this same thing. I tried cinnamon because of it's anti fungal properties and it didn't work. I tried baby power and it didn't really work. I just sort of made a paste of it with the juice that was weeping and then plopped it on the top of the branch. In the end, I think the plant healed itself.

    The plant not only survived but that branch has just y'd.

  • diggy500
    14 years ago

    hi lovetogrow

    i've had this problem a few times....
    i used the white glue little kids
    use...seals the cut nicely...
    good luck
    diggy

  • lovetogrowflowers
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks everyone. I just wanted to update and say that I believe the seeping is slowing down a lot if not stopped completely. Just been using the powder thus far. It's not clumping up as before when the powder looked wet. It's mostly dry now for two days.

    I think mine had more water than anything. Ive taken it out of the pot and let it sit in the sun during the day to dry the soil out and that seemed to do wonders for the seeping thus far. It's still a little damp, but the seeping seems to have stopped. It's got about 6-8 nice leaves on it. I'm gonna give it a few more days and see how it looks.

    Once I start watering I hope the seeping doesn't return. If all else fails I'll try the glue or the wax. LOL. Thanks for everything.

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