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11-Nov-2002
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#1 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
 
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Chinese Elm W/ Soft Spot
Good Day... My corkbark Chinese Elm has a problem. The trunk is approx 2 inches across. I noticed that there is a bit of soft wood forming at the soil level to about 1 1/2 inches up. This is perhaps 3/4 inch wide at the soil level and tapering on the way up. I know I have to clean out to hard wood and to treat the wood.
I have two questions. 1- with it being Mid-November here in Zone 5b should I wait till this spring when I will be doing a repot of this Tree? 2- With the soft wood going to the soil level, how do I treat the area below the soil when I clean out the soft stuff?
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing |
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11-Nov-2002
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#2 |
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Tips:5¢ Advice:Free
 
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Re: Chinese Elm W/ Soft Spot
Hi Jay,
It sounds like you have some rotting of the trunk going on. Do wait until you repot so you can wash away the soil and get in there and do the best job possible. I would lift the tree & root ball out of the pot to make sure you don't have some serious putrefaction going on from a soil condition like chronic overwatering. There really isn't any reliable way to treat wood under the soil line. Regards, Matt
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11-Nov-2002
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#4 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
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Update... I worked on this tree for a couple of hours today. First I removed the first 1/2 to 3/4 inch of soil. It was beginning to break down and was real wet. I then began to carefully scrape away the rot!
Well, as you might guess, there was more than expected. I believe I have removed all the rot but will allow it to dry out for a few days before I am sure. Some of the big roots were also soft and rotted. I think i got to it before it was to late. I will check it in a few days, lime sulfur the wound and then use wood hardener. Does anyone know if wood hardened is OK for open wounds on Roots?? As for a picture, I will try and get one tomorrow! I am includeing a picture of the tree taken in October of 2001
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing |
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11-Nov-2002
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#5 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
 
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Jay
I'm assuming this would of been from over-watering? Could it of been caused by anything else. You didn't find any pests or anything like that down there. Good decision to work on it and see what is going on. David |
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11-Nov-2002
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#6 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
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David... no pests at all. I think it was a combo of over-watering and the soil breaking down!... A lesson learned....for sure!!
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing |
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11-Nov-2002
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#7 |
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bonsaiTALK ArchMaster
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What is your soil mix like? My mix is very open and coarse and since using this I have not had a single problem with my tree. The roots love it and obviously the trees do too. I learnt this lessen the hard way losing more trees than I care to remember to bad potting mix.
David |
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12-Nov-2002
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#8 |
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bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman
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Jay, I remember from a post a while back that someone was using kitty litter and oil dry in their mix. Can't remember who it was. Was that you? If so that may be your problem. In my experience all of that breaks down fast and slows drainage. Even turface sometimes breaks down fairly fast. I'm using more of the tough ingredients in my soil mix these days. Crushed brick, crushed granite, crushed lava rock are good ones.
Tony |
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12-Nov-2002
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#9 |
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YOU CAN NOT RUSH TIME
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Tony, Good thought, but this tree has been in its present pot (and soil) since March 2001. At that time I was buying my soil already mixed. My present soil is mixed by me and does contain Turface but no kitty liter! Picture of the tree will follow later when the sun comes up!
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A Bonsai student living with his trees at N 44.37 W 77.49... Think before you act... then think again... no good comes from rushing |
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12-Nov-2002
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#10 |
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bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman
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Kitty litter does get soft and breaks down and can stay too wet. Turface and Oil Dry don't break down. They are high fired. You must screen the fines out of the Turface and Oil dry though. Triple screen it if you have to.
If you have a cement block plant around where you live, ask them if you can get some of the material they use to make lightweight concrete blocks out of. It's volcanic and it also needs to be screened. They have a pile of it here in town and they let me get it for free. I just take my screens out there and fill up 5 gallon buckets of the stuff.
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GaryS Last edited by GaryS : 12-Nov-2002 at 10:05 AM. |
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