looks like theres an old branch there rotting out but the good news i think is it seams to be healing up bye the looks of it . you see that stump of a dead branch sticking out forward from the picture . it looks like its been cut of at some time . the trouble is its been cut of to long i think and a bit of desease has been in there or something but it definatly looks over the worst of it . i think someone with better knowladge will explain better than i have or ofcourse i mite be wrong . it definatly looks like in the past its been damaged .

It does look like it has been damaged at some point in the past. There is callus tissue around the edges so some healing is taking place though no one can say with any certainty if a rot or other bacterium/fungus is inside? It's too late to seal it with anything as this will just seal in potential bacteria or fungi. That needs to be done straight away after pruning a branch etc to prevent pathogens gaining entry.

I suspect, and here is where I disagree with Nosey, that it is more likely to suffer in the future from this large wound even though signs of healing are taking place. If the heart wood is rotting, this will be a weak point and may snap in a storm. All you can do is wait and see.

ow i completly agree with you fractal. i said i think its healing and getting better and thaught it was damaged at some point but i didnt say it wont be a weak point in the future . you never know with trees . it could go the other way and become a very strong part of the tree depending how it heals.

That is quite true Nosey. It may turn out fine. They will just have to wait and see.

Thankyou out there, your replies were welcome and best of all, hopeful. I will wait and see what happens as you suggest. If nothing else it proves how valuable a daily inspection trip round the garden can be.

I would gently clean up those rough edges, to provide less of a hiding place for bugs, an paint the bare wood with lime sulphur to give it at least a superficial disinfecting--maybe repeat that twice a year until it's healed. Lime sulphur will also discourage borers, which are attracted to wounds.

your welcome damow .