Hi Eskota, Pruning sealer is something that Gator and I disagree on. As has been mentioned, Linda Chalker-Scott is not the end-all authority for horticulture, but at least her conclusions are scientifically based. Below is a link of what she has to say regarding pruning sealer. I do think Bug Juice could have a small slight residual benefit if you are concerned about borers colonizing a pruning wound. Not that there is anything particularly special about Bug Juice (i.e. Deltamethrin) vs. other pyrethroids, but any broad spectrum insecticide will tend to slow borers down. I think there could be some advantage to treating large wounds with a strong copper solution. The reason is that large wounds can take many years to heal over. If the wound is large enough the wood in the center of wound can rot before the wound calluses over completely. If that happens, it will leave a hole that could trap water in the hole and slow callusing even more. Copper is decidedly different than asphalt or caulk type products that are routinely sold for wound dressings. Copper will not seal in moisture. I will also point out that my comments regarding copper are not based upon scientific testing. They are based only on deduction and some experience. Deductively, copper has fairly good broad spectrum fungicide activity. Copper is also one of the preservatives of treated lumber. And again copper will not seal in moisture as other wound dressings can. I first learned of this idea from an arborist who posted on a different forum. He claimed to have used this treatment with good success. My experience is also anecdotal. I've tried it on one very large wound. I treated the wound a couple times in the last three years and haven't seen any rotting of the core wood yet. The wound continues to close up. It was probably the largest wound I've made (about 6"). I've made several smaller wounds 4" or less and haven't put any copper on them and they've healed up themselves. I do try to spray big wounds when I spray the fruit for insects and disease. Generally I have an insecticide and fungicide in the tank mix, so the wounds get attention of a sort. I try not to let unwanted limbs get so far ahead of me that I have to use a chain saw. I'm getting better and for the last few years I've only made large wounds where I let central leader trees (like pears) get too tall and am bringing them down slowly. Here is a link that might be useful: Linda Scott - Wound dressings

Some kind of deciduous stone fruit, like a cherry. If you are bothered by the fallen petals, you really won't like it if it ever has a good crop of fruit. I was once approached - while gazing upon some Japanese flowering cherry street trees of a locally rare variety - by a duffer with a flat-top haircut and an artificial lawn and no trees or shrubs who hoped I was there to cut the trees down. You see, the fallen petals made "an awful mess" and he just had to get his blower out each year and blow them away. In Japan there is a tradition of setting out blankets in front of flowering cherry trees, having a picnic and gazing upon the falling petals etc. To become comfortable with the situation you either remove the tree to accommodate your existing point of view or change the way you think about it and keep the tree.

It doesn't sound good.You should be able to tell by now if the twigs and buds are green or if they are brittle and dead. Scratch some branches and see if there is green beneath the bark. Look closely at the buds and see if they are green. How did the trees look last summer and fall? Were they bare root, container, or balled and burlaped? Is there any damage on the trunks - maybe the rabbits got them.

I just reread the last part of what you wrote. I'm getting old with ya. You probably don't remember the blooms because the rose was grafted. The grafted variety died leaving the root stock Dr. Huey to grow. Then when you have pruned it your taking off the wood for next years blooms. Don't prune at all this time until it blooms in 2017. Then when it's done blooming prune some it you wish or let it grow for another year.