How to Repair a Weeping Tree Wound

Soak the sharp, clean knife and any pruning tools you will use in household disinfectant or other disinfectant for five minutes between uses or trees and, if you are making cuts to remove or address portions of a plant that may be diseased, after each cut. Let the disinfected tool air-dry or rinse it off with clear water. If the tool becomes covered with sap, it may be necessary to wash the sap off with warm, soapy water.

Trim bark around the wound edges with a sharp clean knife if it is ragged, loose or torn, giving the wound the shape of an elongated oval to encourage fast healing. Only remove damaged, loose bark and do not cut into sound tissue, remove healthy bark or expose any more live tissue than is necessary.

Cut off damaged branches or limbs that are extensively wounded or wounded areas that are diseased or infested by pests taking advantage of the injury. Make any cut just outside a branch collar, the area of raised tissue where one branch meets a larger one.

Water the tree deeply and occasionally when it is actively growing, wetting at least the top 24 to 36 inches of soil whenever soil 3 inches below the soil surface feels dry to the touch. Apply water evenly over the ground in the area that extends at least to the tree's dripline, the line on the ground that reflects the edge of the tree's canopy. As long as it is not late in the growing season, spread a complete, slow-release fertilizer evenly over the ground around the tree at a rate of 1/10 pound nitrogen per 100 square feet of ground surface and water the fertilizer in well. Regular moisture and proper fertilizer application encourage callus growth and vigorous recovery and growth.