what is this????

[gr8bookworm]

Hi all,

Just took a couple of pics of a Hawthorn to get some comments for styling here: viewtopic.php?f=129&t=9314

But I noticed a kind of ball like substance on the surface and under the bark that appears to be eating away at the wood and looks like this:

bonsai 033.jpg

What is it? How do I treat it?

Thanks,

Mark

[gr8bookworm]

Anyone have any ideas, it is eating away at the wood whatever it is?

[shibui]

Its hard to tell from the photo but it appears to be a dead patch on the trunk. Without bark to protect it the exposed wood can start to rot and its likely this is what you mean by eaten away. Its possible you may be seeing the fruiting bodies of a fungus that's in the wood or it might just be something on the outside of the tree.

Rotted wood can be hollowed out and used as a feature on your tree if you think it looks good. The photo on your other thread shows atree with feature shari. If you can stop the exposed wood rotting the bark will eventually cover it over so the choice is yours.

You can stop the exposed wood rotting by painting it with a preservative. Lime sulphur is used extensively in bonsai but other anti wood rot treatments and hardeners are available from the hardware store.

[gr8bookworm]

Thanks Shibui,

If you click on the photo you get a larger shot.

I will clean it up and get some Lime Sulphur.

Thanks!