Response of beech and oaks to wounds made at different times of the year

Abstract

Tree care, especially pruning, is still mostly done in the dormant time. Such treatments expose live inner bark, the vascular cambium, and functioning outer sapwood to harsh external influences followed often by infection of pathogens. Investigations about response reactions of beech and oak to wounding made in different times of the year showed that wound closure was significantly slower for December and February wounds than in April and October. The length of discoloured sapwood was in October and December wounds greater than in February and April. Sapwood reaction expressed by the soluble phenol concentration index indicated however no significant differences among wounding dates. Overall, woundings in the vegetation period will be more effectively compartmentalized than in the dormant season. Consequently, tree care like pruning with many woundings should not be done in the winter period. © Springer-Verlag 2005.