Ailing Plum Tree - advice please?

[Storm]

I pruned my Victoria plum tree as usual but then, later in the winter, one fork of a “Y” shaped branch partially snapped in high wind. I cut the damaged part of the branch off leaving the other half of the “Y” intact.

However, when spring came, the tree sprung into bud and blossom except for the remaining half of the “Y” which appears to be dead.

I looked more closely and the spot where I made the cut (which was not the best cut I have ever made due to being in an awkward place) has been bleeding sap out which has dribbled down the tree since the branch was removed in January.

Clearly something has got in (cold, disease etc.) to kill the remaining part of the branch but I don't know what.

Should I will cut it off to stop any potential pathogen spreading? The rest of the tree appears healthy – for the time being at least.

My main concern is that with the sap now rising at its most vigorous, that the tree will continue to bleed sap out and the open wound will provide a new path for infection/disease.

Should I paint over the cut? If so, what with? Any other advice will be appreciated.

Cheers.

[ugley_matt]

I'd be inclined to cut it back further and paint something like Abrex on the stump to keep it clean.

[FB.]

Plums aren't supposed to be pruned in winter, due to the risk of disease entry.
They are best pruned very late in winter (just as the buds start to swell), or in July. July pruning is only for keeping trained forms restricted in size, or for calming-down over-vigorous trees.

You would be wise to prune out the dead bit. If possible, prune well below the dead area, in case the disease is spreading down towards the trunk.

[Storm]

thanks for the advice. I pruned the tree in January originally which was a bit early perhaps, though our garden is very sheltered and the plum tree always seems to be a bit ahead of the game. the bit I had to hack off in late January was snapped by wind - with the benefit of hindsight I should have pruned lower below the break point as the bark is sharded so it wasn't a clean cut

Will prune out the dead tomorrow - first thing.

Thanks again.