[barbarella]

We've just had a bumper crop from our plum tree but unfortunately we didn't thin them out in time and two branches broke.  We have sawed them off neatly but are wondering if it is necessary to put something like Arbrex wound paint on the cut ends.  I have checked on the internet and there is some suggestion that it is not necessary.

Has anyone got any advice on this?

[Aunt Sally]

It's not recommended nowadays.  Not sure you can buy it now.

[Aunt Sally]

Yes you can buy it.  It's called "arbrex seal & heal"  Looks ok to me

[mumofstig]

They do bleed a lot if you don't seal them with something

[New shoot]

There's the Arbrex one and Growing Success Prune & Seal. 

I think the formulation has changed these days and it's tree resin in there that is the sealing ingredient, rather than the somewhat dodgy tar based old style wound paint 

[barbarella]

I'll check to see if the wound is bleeding if it ever stops raining!  If not, I might leave it another week - the sealant is bound to be expensive.  There is an article about plums by Monty Don in the new issue of Gardeners' World mag but annoyingly he doesn't mention sealing cuts, probably because pruning is not advised unless absolutely necessary - which it was in this case 

[sion01]

I'm in the same boat Barbarella.I thought i'd thinned enough but as i'd never had such a heavy crop before I wasn't sure what was 'enough' thinning .I'll know if it happens again.

[barbarella]

I think this has been an exceptional year Sion - I know several people who have this happen to their plum trees, and apples as well.  A combination of the warm spring, wet summer, and possibly even the cold winter has made lots of plant life grow like mad.

[Gwiz]

As Auntie says, it's not recomended these days.
I always tend to use it though.
The general thought is that the wound heals better if it isn't painted, but to my mind that leaves an opening for disease to enter for a long while before it scars over.