Big Ugly Wound!

Bonsai_FL

I know there must be someone on this forum that has tackled this project before. I have an azalea that I bought last spring, after removing some old cut past I noticed one (of many) very ugly wound that looks as though water has gotten under the past and started a little rot. I understand I'll will have to carve out the dead soft wood until I hit hard wood. Where do I go from there? What kind of sealer? Filler for the hole? and as you can see in the pictures the wound is healing irregular.
Little back ground on the tree: Azalea, aprox: 38yr old, Hight 19in, root flair 9in.

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azqt.jpg (33.1 KB, 176 views)

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Bonsai_FL

As you can see from the front view here the wound detracts from the tree greatly.

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azfront.jpg (31.9 KB, 172 views)

LivingArt

kinda looks cool

DavidN

I don't think it looks too bad at all. Unless it is going to cause health issues for the tree then I would consider fixing it.

Robert

Here's what I would do:

First cut out all of the rotten wood....get down to the clear center wood. Then I would cut into the cambium all around the edge of the wound....so as to have some green showing......all around. Then I would apply new cut paste........then I'd re-check it each year in the winter, and re-cut the cambium each time, (showing some green), and then re-apply the cut paste again.You do it in the winter in order to "catch the vigorous spring growth each year".
It is the cambium, from the green material, that the healing will grow. I think azaleas are rather fast, so it shouldn't take more than a few years for the full healing to take place.
.......but, personally, I'm not bothered by a scar, (shari) on the trunk....but it should definitely NOT contain any rotting material.
Good luck, and I hope this is useful information.

Robert......in Sta.Cruz

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Robert.........in Sta.Cruz