Help with removing bracket/shelf fungus on trunks

Lars Grimm

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Hi All,

I was away on vacation for a week so had sprinklers going to keep my trees watered. With the extra water and humidity, I came back and some of the deadwood and bark on a couple trees (oak and grape) have what I assume is white shelf/bracket fungus growing. In some places it has that characteristic shelf appearance, but in others it is more sessile. Does anyone have any recommendations for how to best remove it? I have scraped it off in places I can easily access, but I want to avoid removing some old flaky bark if possible on others. My understanding is that what you actually see if the fruiting body and so the fungus itself is deeper in place.

Thanks,
Lars

IMG_5568.jpg
 

0soyoung

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Yah, I think that is right, hyphae are in the wood and the bark, not just on the surface.

I'm pretty sure that 'cauterizing' with a butane torch will nix it, but you may not want to do that. A penetrating wood hardener might do the job, but could also be cosmetically unacceptable. PC Petrifier is easy to apply without making a shiny mess. Harry Harrington (bonsai4me) uses superglue, but experience skill is required to apply it well, I think.
 

sorce

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I wouldn't be to hesitant to torch it. If necessary of course.

Sorce
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Any benefit to painting a stronger antifungal (lime sulfur, hydrogen peroxide) on it?
Peroxide isn't going to help. Lime sulphur might slow it down and stop it from spreading to other dead wood.

For some reason PPM pops into my head. Plant preservative mixture. It's an American made mixture used in laboratory plant culturing. The stuff inhibits fungal growth, and is generally used to combat fungi and bacteria that hide inside plant tissue. It doesn't kill them, but it does prevent them from growing. It's not an antibiotic and it shouldn't hurt your tree.
 

Lars Grimm

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Peroxide isn't going to help. Lime sulphur might slow it down and stop it from spreading to other dead wood.

For some reason PPM pops into my head. Plant preservative mixture. It's an American made mixture used in laboratory plant culturing. The stuff inhibits fungal growth, and is generally used to combat fungi and bacteria that hide inside plant tissue. It doesn't kill them, but it does prevent them from growing. It's not an antibiotic and it shouldn't hurt your tree.

Thanks. I will likely use some combination of physical debridement and chemical treatment of the wood surface. The humidity here in North Carolina is always a challenge.
 

Lars Grimm

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Yah, I think that is right, hyphae are in the wood and the bark, not just on the surface.

I'm pretty sure that 'cauterizing' with a butane torch will nix it, but you may not want to do that. A penetrating wood hardener might do the job, but could also be cosmetically unacceptable. PC Petrifier is easy to apply without making a shiny mess. Harry Harrington (bonsai4me) uses superglue, but experience skill is required to apply it well, I think.

Some areas could be torched. I'm not sure the depth of the fungus or the effective depth of burning.
 

0soyoung

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It cured nectria canker on/in two two different cultivars of my acer palmatums. I've seen it recommended by some arborists for many other types.

It is 'cauterization' in the sense that the wood is browned/charred but not turned into charcoal - much like what is done to freshly carved bonsai wood (maybe just a touch more). If you like, you could make charcoal, of course, but it isn't necessary.
 

Lars Grimm

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It cured nectria canker on/in two two different cultivars of my acer palmatums. I've seen it recommended by some arborists for many other types.

It is 'cauterization' in the sense that the wood is browned/charred but not turned into charcoal - much like what is done to freshly carved bonsai wood (maybe just a touch more). If you like, you could make charcoal, of course, but it isn't necessary.

I'll give it a try. I have one of those small kitchen blow torches.
 

Mash

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Well torching wont prevent it from coming back that just affects the surface. The mushroom you see is just the larger organism fruiting essentially. Look up mushroom life cycle. What you see is supported by the Mycelium that will have spread through the dead wood. You will want to stablize the wood so it wont take up moister which the mushroom needs to stay alive.
 

0soyoung

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Well torching wont prevent it from coming back that just affects the surface. The mushroom you see is just the larger organism fruiting essentially.
How deeply into the wood do you suppose hyphae have gotten in the week or so that has passed, during which this appeared?
 

Lars Grimm

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How deeply into the wood do you suppose hyphae have gotten in the week or so that has passed, during which this appeared?
Really not sure. I am going to manually remove some areas that were going to be removed anyway and see how deep things have penetrated.
 

Bonsai Nut

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Before I torched anything, I would consider using a systemic fungicide with a penetrating surfactant like Pentra-Bark, which causes the fungicide to be drawn into deadwood/bark.
 

Smoke

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Liberal weekly sprays with round-up should do the trick....
 

Mash

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How deeply into the wood do you suppose hyphae have gotten in the week or so that has passed, during which this appeared?
So mushrooms feed on certain portions of the tree that are dead. It shouldn't kill your tree but it will deteriorate the dead wood excel-rating the rotting of it. Allot of them like sap wood since it often contains some sugars still and isn't as dense. For the mushroom to fruit 3 things have happened. Its been there for a while an is well established under the surface and stored enough energy. Most likely the temperature shift colder with fall has hit its happy range that it likes. It has gotten enough moister with resent rain to cause the fruiting. I force fruit my shiitake logs when I hit good temperature by submerging them for 24 hours in water. I have never used fungicide but that may work not sure on the roundup. The simplest element to remove that it needs to live in the future is water. A wood stabilizer will do that and harden and soft material to preserve the look. The traditional bonsai lime sulfur method of treating treas is going to make condition that the mushroom find hard to get a foot hold. Lime Sulfate may soak into the wood and make unfavorable conditions as well but not sure how deep it will penetrate.

I would clean the surface good move the tree to a bit more sun so the wood is good dry then apply a wood stabilizer. The wood stabilizer will prevent water from entering the wood which the mushroom need to live preventing further decay of the dead wood.
 

Mash

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I would do a google search on "bonsai wood stabilizer". Some reading out there on the topic.

 

Lars Grimm

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So mushrooms feed on certain portions of the tree that are dead. It shouldn't kill your tree but it will deteriorate the dead wood excel-rating the rotting of it. Allot of them like sap wood since it often contains some sugars still and isn't as dense. For the mushroom to fruit 3 things have happened. Its been there for a while an is well established under the surface and stored enough energy. Most likely the temperature shift colder with fall has hit its happy range that it likes. It has gotten enough moister with resent rain to cause the fruiting. I force fruit my shiitake logs when I hit good temperature by submerging them for 24 hours in water. I have never used fungicide but that may work not sure on the roundup. The simplest element to remove that it needs to live in the future is water. A wood stabilizer will do that and harden and soft material to preserve the look. The traditional bonsai lime sulfur method of treating treas is going to make condition that the mushroom find hard to get a foot hold. Lime Sulfate may soak into the wood and make unfavorable conditions as well but not sure how deep it will penetrate.

I would clean the surface good move the tree to a bit more sun so the wood is good dry then apply a wood stabilizer. The wood stabilizer will prevent water from entering the wood which the mushroom need to live preventing further decay of the dead wood.

This is a really wonderful summary. I'll be honest, the trees in question are in development and I haven't had a concerted wood preservation/treatment plan. I think my big take home message is that I need to be more proactive earlier in development given the high relative humidity here. I have had mixed success with Harry Harrington's superglue approach. It has worked really well with wood that has no ground contact, but in other areas that are in contact with the ground the rot has continued deeper within the trunk and rotted from the inside out.
 

Mash

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This is a really wonderful summary. I'll be honest, the trees in question are in development and I haven't had a concerted wood preservation/treatment plan. I think my big take home message is that I need to be more proactive earlier in development given the high relative humidity here. I have had mixed success with Harry Harrington's superglue approach. It has worked really well with wood that has no ground contact, but in other areas that are in contact with the ground the rot has continued deeper within the trunk and rotted from the inside out.
Super glue even the really thin stuff I don't think works as well as a stabilizer. Some of the wood stabilizers stuff is super thin and soaks in. I know it doesn't go that deep if the wood is fairly solid. For knife handles we use stabilized wood that is done in a vacuum to get all the way through a block of wood. The store bought stuff wont go deep enough for that application.
 

hinmo24t

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try the 3% peroxide 50/50 with water, or 25% 1/4 hp to water, for almost any issues your tress have. its fixes a lot of issues.
hydrogen peroxide is beneficial for plants generally as long as you dont apply this treatment more than twice a week. douse the trunk or soil. for foliage issues try a drop of dish soap in sprayer. mist. let sit 15 mins, then rinse clean. no need for anything else for bonsai (possible trigger phrase i bet)

i bought 12, 32oz of peroxide for $12 to my door in 2 days on amazon recently. i clean my house with it. gargle with it. and treat my plants with it. as well as for wounds.
 
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