Stopping the Rot

[Paul W]

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Hi Guys, Have been reading the Koreshoff excellent little book, Bonsai with Australian Natives and in the section Eucalypts and Angophora is mentions an attractive miniature can be made by cutting all the branches and roots off a prominent lignotuber which I did off a E nicholii a month or so back and it has developed numerous new shoots as they said but have since found a lot of rot in the lignotuber which this morning I have carved out to a certain extent and could keep going but am worried that I will stress the tree too much, so here are my questions please if someone can help.

Can I treat it with something to stop the water getting in again especially as I have noticed there in some places a gap between the wood and the bark,
Would some thing like Earles wood hardener help out.
Would something like plastibond seal it up and fill in some holes without killing the tree.
What about treating with Lime Sulphur help out to seal it up or should I just use bonsai paste or the putty to fill the holes and prevent more rot and damage.
I suppose what I am trying to say is how do I "STOP THE ROT" by more water getting in.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as I don`t want to lose this little tree,Thanks.

[Bretts]

I do not bother with any wood hardener these days. I have found it will only delay the inevitable. Only dead wood will rot away, some will stay. I would much rather rely on the strong growth of the tree and sit back and see what it creates and then design from there.
Can't wait to see what this one does

[kcpoole]

I treat all the deadwood on my Softwood trees with Earls
everything else then Seal with cutpaste (in the tube)

If i can stop the rotting and stop the onset a little then i do it.
As Brett says, Natural rotting can be good if you tree suits

Ken

[Paul W]

Thanks Ken and Bretts,I have had this tree for years and it was getting very leggy,so I cut it right down to start again after reading the Koreshoffs book, it did not have any rot before I cut it down,so when I saw it really worried me and I must admit it seems to rot quite easily, Any more ideas would be also welcome as I have been told that euc`s don`t make good Bonsai.
Paul

[hugh grant]

Rotting wood can be one of the best natural carving methods for our trees. When it comes to hollows I don't bother sealing them as a hollow won't damage the living part of the tree. It will get deeper but I don't see that as much of a problem. Jin and feature shari I will most definitely preserve but than you don't get the problems of rot to any major extent In these areas usually, lime sulphur will simply do the trick.

Hugh