AusBonsai

Hi all I was cutting my Chinese elm and I saw that dark coloured area in the trunk... is that normal or should I worry?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Were you removing a dead branch?
Cheers
Kirky

I was removing a branch but it was alive and with leaves???

No ideas?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wonder if not root related, when last was the tree repotted? What state are the roots in?

Oh no ! I haven't repotted for 2 years! I missed this year because the buds were already opened... what should I do repot now and check the roots?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This looks like some sort of fungal infection in the wood. Don't worry too much about this. The live part of the trunk is the outside. As long as that is healthy and the leaves are still ok there is no problem even if the inside is dead. I am pretty sure it is not caused by the roots. I don't think there is anything to treat this sort of decay.

Ok thanks Shibui!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I just noticed the starweed under your tree. This looks nice but it is very aggressive - explodes seed over several metres and also produces little underground suckers so it can take over all your pots.
Definitely get rid of it wherever possible. Wipe with glyphosate (roundup) is the best method but you will need to keep following up to get all the new ones that grow from seed in the soil.

Is that some sort of borer damage?

I hope it is not borer damage!!! I will remove all the starweed tomorrow, do you think it would be safe/good to repot now?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Convention would say it is too late to repot when the leaves have opened but elms are pretty tough - it may be possible if you have experience but I would not because I have not tried repotting elms after leaves are open so cannot recommend it.
Also this one is clearly not 100% healthy so may be less able to cope with the stress.

Does not look like borer to me.

Is the brown wood spongy? If not it is probably just old dead wood.

shibui wrote:Convention would say it is too late to repot when the leaves have opened but elms are pretty tough - it may be possible if you have experience but I would not because I have not tried repotting elms after leaves are open so cannot recommend it.
Also this one is clearly not 100% healthy so may be less able to cope with the stress.

Does not look like borer to me.

Ok thanks I've removed the weeds if come back I will roundup!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Andrew Legg wrote:Is the brown wood spongy? If not it is probably just old dead wood.

no it was pretty hard


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk