Azalea deadwood.

Speedy

Yamadori
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This is not a discussion about whether or not it should be there, for this tree it is there. This is one of the first trees I "collected" when I first started so I have a slight sentimental attachment to it. By my rough estimation it is around 40 years old. This rotted out section is not my doing, but I did chop it a bit too much at the same time I dug and moved it (about 12 years ago) so I have what might be issues up top as well. I dug it out and potted it recently then started cleaning out the dead stuff, not expecting this crater. Had I just trenched and pruned it I would have a beautiful tree right now, but I actually put it a worse spot because "I knew better"...

I am going to use a hardener to preserve what is there, but how do I dry it out first without hurting the live parts? I don't mind losing the dead bits, but I do want to keep the plant side intact.
 

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leatherback

The Treedeemer
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Have you considered removing the soil around the dead part, maybe fill it with very course substrate. Water only on one side, and protect from the rain so it can dry out a bit?
You do know that hardener does not move into the deadwood very far and eventually it will still fall apart/?
 

Speedy

Yamadori
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Kernersville NC
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This is not a discussion about whether or not it should be there, for this tree it is there. This is one of the first trees I "collected" when I first started so I have a slight sentimental attachment to it. By my rough estimation it is around 40 years old. This rotted out section is not my doing, but I did chop it a bit too much at the same time I dug and moved it (about 12 years ago) so I have what might be issues up top as well. I dug it out and potted it recently then started cleaning out the dead stuff, not expecting this crater. Had I just trenched and pruned it I would have a beautiful tree right now, but I actually put it a worse spot because "I knew better"...

I am going to use a hardener to preserve what is there, but how do I dry it out first without hurting the live parts? I don't mind losing the dead bits, but I do want to keep the plant side intact.
Edit: I ripped the dead stuff away and I am left with this. I was going to lose it down the road anyway and figured it just slowing the drying process. The hollow goes all the way down. I'm going to leave it facing the sun for a couple days and see what happens.
 

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Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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There are likely relatively few roots immediately beneath the dead spot, you can pull the soil back away from the trunk immediately under the "dead spot" that will help dry out the dead wood. One wood preservative you can use is boiled linseed oil, available in paint department of most big box hardware stores. It might just be labeled "linseed oil". It is used to preserve wood, it penetrates deeper than wood hardeners, it is a natural oil that mimics the natural oils that most conifers have. It will waterproof the wood to some degree. Apply with a small paint brush. Just put on a thin coat. Then a day or two later, the wood will look dry, like you never applied anything. Then apply another thin coat. Every few days, when it returns to looking dry, do a repeat applications until the wood no longer absorbs more. When the wood keeps the look of being freshly oiled for more than a couple days, you have "maxed out" the penetration you will get with linseed oil. Let it go another week or two, Then apply wood hardener. The wood hardener will only penetrate a short distance. This way the wood hardener will seal in the linseed oil.

Or you can skip the wood hardener and just use linseed oil. You can also use other oils, like tung oil, or some of the Formby's products, but linseed oil is cheaper, and is the original "old school" way to preserve wood. It is the base of deck waterproofing and other wood waterproofing products.
 
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