Got my first Ponderosa

PABonsai

Chumono
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Unfortunately I don’t think so. The trunk is even infected...Pretty cool learning how that mistletoe blasts seeds, though!
Sorry to hear that. I knew junipers wouldn't work but have no experience with pines. Good luck finding a clean one!
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
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Because its a plant, I’m going to try to starve it of sunlight by first removing the “buds”, then covering the affected area with cut paste.... we’ll see how that works. Maybe. Since my tree has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, I went ahead and worked on some jins and experimenting with angles.View attachment 259393View attachment 259394View attachment 259395


That ''reverse taper'' you could not stand in the first branch was probably caused by the mistletoe's endophytic system beginning to cause a witches broom or a knot, or gall.

I think if you are consistent in rubbing off any visible shoots of mistletoe you will be able to prevent it from spreading to any other tree in your collection. It may eventually weaken and die, but it might also just persist as long as the tree does.

If you find all the new mistletoe shoots are on a part of the tree that can be removed, this can eliminate it from the tree. But it did look like the one photo was from the trunk, below all the branches with needles. In this case, it is just a waiting game. Keep after removing shoots and see if it disappears over the years. Otherwise, this tree is firewood.
 

Atom#28

Chumono
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Thank you. Yeah, the wife insists that this tree needs to be out of the yard. She's certain its gonna infect our entire property. RIP Pondy.
 
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