Debate: should you splint a cracked limb or just take it off?

Had a big old maple branch fail on me during a storm last Wednesday. The split went about 4 feet down the trunk and I spent an hour arguing with a guy about whether to cable it or just remove the whole thing. I was leaning toward cabling to save the tree but he said it was a waste of time and money. What do you all do when a major limb cracks like that? Has anyone had success holding one together long term?

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3 Comments

lucast811mo ago

Cut it off clean and plant a new one, cabling a cracked limb is just kicking the can down the road.

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blair_chen811mo ago

Remember that the bark and cambium on one side might still be intact enough to graft back together if you clean it up right and wrap it tight. Sometimes saving the mature root system beats waiting 10 years for a replacement to fill in.

8

dylan_sanchez1mo ago

Wait, you'd really scrap a whole tree over a cracked limb? @blair_chen81 might have a point though.

1