Hi: It seems today I have a lot of questions but I am the volunteer landscaper (not a professional) for the yard of a 1905 house, moved to a bare backyard and being opened as a county museum. There is a nice, large, chinese chestnut in the front yard. So I have 4 questions:
1. I need to trim it back. Is it Ok to cut back the live wood by 1/3 on the branches?
2. I want to "limb up" some of the lower branches. Are these supposed to be cut off flush with the trunk?
3. Should I put some kind of healer over the wound where I cut it back? I have heard debate on this question, some say it's necessary so bugs won't get into the wood and eventually cause a hole and rot the tree and others say a sealer causes fungus to grow under it.
4. Do these trees need any kind of fertilizer?
I would appreciate all the advice I can get. Lots to do and some places with wet ground (a real run-off problem), shady areas and sunny areas.......Betty
chinese chestnut
1. Yes, if done carefully.
2. Nearly, but not quite flush. You need to cut back to immediately outside the branch collar, the ridge of rough bark on the top side of the branch at its base.
3. No, don't put anything on the cuts.
4. Likely not, unless the soil is exceptionally poor.
Resin
cool to get those answers. Yes, the soil is really poor and the tree is not as healthy as it should be. But the yard is getting a lot of run-off water, something we are working on now.
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