Wound concerns on Sharps Pygmy

[RAB82]

Hello All,

I'm new member to the forum, but long time forum reader from all my googling.

I have a wound on my Sharps Pygmy that seems to be progressing in the wrong direction. The wound is from a failed air layering done last June. Since then the wound and/or area surrounding the wound has grown and discolored. I sealed the wound after cutting, but continued to look worse. This year when examining the wound, it appeared to be discolored around the edges so I removed the pasted. The wood was moist underneath, which is what led to my assumption of poorly applied pasted job. I cleaned the cut and reapplied, in what I thought to be a more methodical and thorough process. I have been keeping an eye on it and started seeing more discoloration around it. I removed it again and found the wood to be, yet again, damp and looking like it was rotting. Last action was clean wound again and forget about the wound sealant.

I understand these things take time and I have not given it much of that, but given the result of the smaller wound above this major cut, I would have liked to see some sort of healing. My question is, is the discoloration below the cut of concern? If so, any thoughts on what is going on and how it can be treated?

Thanks in advance for any and all help/insight.

 

[caffeinated]

it's standard issue die-back from creating the wound. Hopefully it stops at the next internode down and doesn't continue all the way down the trunk. There's debate as to whether cut paste can lessen the amount of die-back, but that's a pretty big wound so you were bound to get some. Not much you can do, aside from let the rest of the tree grow as vigorously as it can and hope the tree compartmentalizes the wound.

 

[Shibui]

I find that sealed wounds heal much quicker than unsealed wounds. It takes longer for the callus to grow when it is dry than when it is protected.
Wounds also heal quicker when there's lots of sap moving past the area so lots of growth above the wound will definitely help.
I'm therefore suspicions there's something else going on in this case but not sure what that might be. I can't see any sign of callus forming around the edges of that lower cut. It may still be growing a little further back under the bark which is something that happens regularly with JM. You could try gently cutting the bark back looking for healthy tissue but that won't make it heal any quicker. It will just tell you how far back the problem goes and that will eventually become evident anyway without risking any possible further infection of the site.

If you think things might be better without the sealer on then leave it off. Unsealed wounds will still heal.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Vaseline can act as a sealant and it will seep into the wood, causing it to become a bit more water repellent.
If you add copper sulphate crystals and mix a pinhead or two of those into the vaseline, you essentially made an antifungal wood dressing.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

This year when examining the wound, it appeared to be discolored around the edges so I removed the pasted. The wood was moist underneath, which is what led to my assumption of poorly applied pasted job. I cleaned the cut and reapplied, in what I thought to be a more methodical and thorough process. I have been keeping an eye on it and started seeing more discoloration around it. I removed it again and found the wood to be, yet again, damp and looking like it was rotting. Last action was clean wound again and forget about the wound sealant.

I understand these things take time and I have not given it much of that, but given the result of the smaller wound above this major cut, I would have liked to see some sort of healing. My question is, is the discoloration below the cut of concern? If so, any thoughts on what is going on and how it can be treated?

You are dealing with two issues - first, how to seal the wound, and second, how to get the wound to close.

When you have a wound this large on JM you have to be very careful how you seal it. If the sealant isn't both waterproof and perfectly applied, it can actually leak and trap water against the deadwood, causing a worse situation than no sealant at all. Also, if you open the edges of the wound during the wrong times of year when the tree is actively pushing new growth, the margins of the wound may bleed behind your wound sealant. Depending on your situation, you can try two different methods to address this. First, if you have the ability to keep the tree out of the rain/irrigation (like access to a greenhouse) you can decide to not seal the wound. Simply apply a topical anti-fungal agent (like lime sulfur) and then make sure you water the tree via the soil only - no water on foliage or trunk. If you don't have the ability to keep the tree out of the rain, I would bring the tree into a dry space (like a garage) for a day or two, apply a topical anti-fungal agent to the deadwood, let it dry for 24-48 hours, then seal the wound with waterproof latex cut paste and move it back outside. Make sure to use a waterproof sealant, and not a clay-based paste, which can pull away from the wound or crack and let water in.

The fastest way to get the wound to close is to stick the tree in the ground and let it grow freely for a couple of years. No pruning, no pinching, just free growth above the wound, which will increase vascular demand and cause the trunk to thicken. If you can't stick it in the ground keep it in an over-sized container like an Anderson flat. Try to keep the wound area dry and rotate the tree so that the wound faces the sun, which may help to keep it warm and dry. But otherwise let it grow unhindered.

 

[RAB82]

Thank you all very much for the help! I have moved the tree to a covered area that still gets late afternoon sun. I will leave it here to dry and make a decision on the anti-fungal to use. I repotted to a 5 gal nursery pot this spring with hopes to leave it there a few seasons to allow for uninhibited growth (moving soon, so I am avoiding the ground planting). The tree is growing very well, so hopefully with the correct care and a health does of patience I can get this tree healed up.