Cutting a branch off a tree - Advice please

[love2sleep]

Please help - I am clueless with all things gardening.

I have a lovely tree in my garden. No idea what it is but is covered with blue flowers in April/May. One section of it seems to have died and I think the best thing is to cut this whole branch off asap. I have a vague memory that I'm supposed to paint something on to the exposed bit of branch. Please lovely people tell me what to do

The tree sounds as if it might be a ceanothus (Californian lilac). Information about ceanothus is here - www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/ceanothus-california-lilac_1.asp and there's advice on pruning here - www.gardenaction.co.uk/plantfinder/ceanothus-california-lilac_2.asp.

Be careful about the pruning though, as (assuming it is a ceanothus) over-enthusiastic pruning can kill the plant. You probably don't need to paint over the cut end of the branch, but you can buy the stuff to do it in garden centres if you want it. In any event, be sure to use a clean saw or secateurs and to make the cut at an angle: if the cut surface is horizontal, water can enter that way and cause the branch to rot.

You don't need to paint anything over the cut end - if you cut at an angle so that rainwater can run off as madbad says, it will be fine.

I cut my ceanothus back after flowering every year. For safety, only prune off this year's growth. If you cut into old wood it might not regenerate (although mine always does but I don't recommend it as a general practice).

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. It is a Ceanothus. I've cut off the dead branch and a few other bits to try and even it out. I guess that I just need to cross fingers that the rest of it is ok.

thanks again

Jenni