AusBonsai

Hi everyone

I have a large weeping maple with a trunk problem- its splitting!
I know its not bonsai but i'm a little concerned it could be fatal. I give it lots of water and up top its fairly healthy and could probably use a thin out.
It's also fairly root bound but is it too late to repot? What's causing the splitting?

All help is greatly appreciated

thanks

From what i can make out it isn't actually splitting, Looks more like a patch of bark has died in a strip down the trunk and is now peeling off the dead wood underneath. Is that a pruned branch stub at the top of the dead area?
Maples sometimes seem to do this for no apparent reason though I have not had it happen on this scale yet. Usually the stub of a branch dies along with everything immediately below it down to the roots. Mostly it is not fatal but can quite ruin the look of the tree. Maybe in time the bark will grow over the scar and look ok again.
I do hope someone can explain this phenomenon and maybe even have a clue to avoiding it.

Hi shibui

Looks like your spot on with diagnosis- there is a pruned branch at the top of the dead area and the bark has peeled back directly down to the roots.
On the opposite side and above the pruned branch is fine.
Thanks and well done

Does this mean i would have to be carefull with pruned branches on my bonsai? Do maples require cut paste?
Sorry if these questions seem abit silly but i'm fairly new to bonsai

thanks again

This doesn't seem to happen very often so I haven't taken any particular precautions against it. I'm not sure whether cut paste helps prevent this or not. Cut paste does however help cuts heal over much quicker than without. I did an experiment to see whether it actually worked once - covered half a wound with the plasticine type cut paste. That half had the bark growing over after a year but hardly any movement on the uncovered side. I didn't notice any worse dieback without cut paste but I do use some sort of sealant when I can just to get wounds to heal quicker.
Still hoping someone else has ideas re this sort of dieback.
No need to apologise for asking questions. Best way to learn

great info, thanks again for your help

brett.

Nice dissected Maple there
got an photos of the full Tree?

Have quite a few maples, but never seen that happen.

I use cut paste on all Cuts on maples that are over about 5 mm Diameter tho

Ken

its about 6 foot, i like this tree alot.

cheers