Flower Bobdew wrote:
[...]
The only time to really avoid pruning them is when the sap is
rising,
particularly early spring, as they bleed quite heavily. However, I
even have a tip for that... Should you accidentally damage a tree
[as
I did my Acer with a careless swinging spade. D'uh!] or notice
bleeding from recently pruned joints, apply some garden soil
directly
to the wound. Apparently, the bacteria present in the soil will
help
the healing process.

Interesting: does it work? My instinct would be for a quick blast
with a blow-torch.

--
Mike.