Is this deadwood on my Chinese Elm?

[odpm612]

Hi all,

I’m new to bonsai and have had this tree for about 4 months. I noticed the base of the trunk had begun to turn black, but I initially thought it was soil residue from watering.

Today, I noticed that the black area was fairly soft, so I scraped a bit away and saw that it’s white/tan underneath. I kept scraping to get off the softened bark and this is what’s underneath it.

Is this deadwood? If so, what should I do moving forward? Is this a death sentence for the tree, or can it be worked around

thank you in advance!

PS - photo 1 is the soft bark scraped away, photo 2 is how it initially looked prior to scraping it

 

[hinmo24t]

cant say that seems good but someone who knows more will prob be more definitive

 

[Shibui]

Hard to say just from a photo but likely you are correct and that root has died. This can happen to Chinese elms when the roots are cut hard and conditions are not conducive to healing after. Most likely not your fault but from the original grower a it looks like a mass produced Chinese elm mallsai.
The good news is that it probably won't kill the tree. The other roots will sustain it and they will grow stronger to replace the lost roots. If the trunk is buried a bit deeper it is likely that new roots will grow from the live section of trunk just above the dead root.

 

[sorce]

Looks like ole wispy's cousin!

Welcome to Crazy!

Sorce

 

[Crazy Diamond]

it will rot and decay, deadwood in elms dont last long, so its better cut it flush and let the tree callus over

 

[penumbra]

I would cut and remove the dead part, treat with a fungicide, and plant the tree deeper, best in the ground. Let it form new roots above the offended area.