Question
We have a mature dogwood.  Last June a couple of the limbs were damaged when the derecho came thru the DC area.  The limbs were cut off and everything seemed fine.

Now, this spring Where the limbs were cut there is a leaking liquid.  It is clear, no smell, feels similar to water.  The leaking as 1-10 drops per MINUTE.

What causes this? and even more importantly, what can we do about this?

Thanks for any help you can give

Answer
Bleeding of pruning wounds can be heavy on certain trees,such as birch, dogwood, sugar maples and elms. Bleeding of susceptible trees can be minimized by making small cuts--less than 3 inches in diameter--and pruning in summer. Bleeding is much more likely if severe pruning is
done just before growth begins in the spring. Bleeding doesn't harm the tree, but if it's heavy and persistent, it may injure the bark below the pruning cut and cause
slow callusing of the lower wound. Trees subject to bleeding should be pruned in the late spring or early summer when leaves are on the tree. Actively growing leaves tend to reduce the amount of bleeding from pruning cuts and allow the cuts to heal more quickly.

In the early spring the trees are transporting the "sap" form the roots to the leaves and this time of the year the pressure is the highest. Any prune during this time will bleed some. The bleeding will stop when the weather warms up in late spring or early summer. No need to apply anything to the wound or wipe the oozing off.