Response from Bartlett Tree Experts - 81113
Thank you very kindly for the feedback. We apologize for any deficiencies in the way we pruned your beautiful, historic tree. The area where it appears we pruned too much was directly over a very busy street; we prund out a bigger than normal selection in order further to reduce the risk of a limb falling into the street. No, indeed we do not paint cuts. There have now been over half a dozen peer-reviewed studies concluding that painting cuts is unnecessary and in most cases does more harm than good. Pruning sealant can actually trap in moisture and spores, speeding up decay and interfering with the tree's natural callusing mechanism. (One notable exception is to help reduce the risk of the spread of oak wilt in places such as South Central Texas, but this diseases has not yet reached epidemic levels in the Houston area.) We sincerely hope that this new information has a bearing on your level of satisfaction with our work and that you will keep us in mind for additional care to your tree. Thanks!