Ml_work

I purchased a - Natal Plum / Carissa grandiflora "nana" - about 2 months ago. Its 5 years old, with the trunk leaning across the pot. The bark has some green tint to it and at the bottom of the trunk it was covered with moss. All this gave the tree an aged look. I thought the moss look good so I made sure I got it good and wet every time I misted the tree (2 times a day). Yep as you know, it is rotting the trunk at the base. The tree has good leaves and growth going on, you could not tell it by the appearance. I just happened to notice the bottom a couple of days ago. I have remove the "cool" moss and with a chop stick pulled most of the dead/rotten wood away. I can feel solid wood behind it. Should I try to get all the dead wood out, will it hurt the tree. What should I do now?
Thanks,
ML

pondering sage

yeah, I would scrape away the rot and than use a wood hardener. I have use Minwax brand with good results. I found that if you go too heavy with it, it can have a little shine. Also, if you would like to bleach out the wood with lime sulfur, i think this should be done before using a wood hardener.

pondering sage

also, I think many folks keep moss away from the trunk for that reason.

Prowler

Moss is a bit of a disaster, it upsets your watering regime , plus have you seen the bugs that live there?
Most show trees with moss on them the moss has been grown on a tray, this is then applied to the pot, when the show is finished they remove it.
Looks nice i have to say, but more trouble than its bloody worth as you have found out. A little clump at one end is okay, but stay away from the trunk. My 2C on that.

__________________
Its hell out there, give them hell back.

Paul Williams

Hi Ml
All that Prowler has said is true!
Good growing
Paul

Ml_work

Sage,
is this a liquid that you apply? I would be very concerned about putting something that close to the base, as it will soak into the tree. Sounds as if you have done this with success, I do not question your knowledge, just want to make sure I understand correctly. What happens if I do not apply anything, just remove the rot?

Thanks to all,
ML

pondering sage

i think if you just scrape it and don't treat it will continue to rot latter on down the road. this probably varies between different kinds of trees and may be less of a problem for hardwood tree and less of one for softwood trees. i am not familiar with natal plum, so i don't really know.
As far as Minwax wood hardener goes it is a liquid, and is easy to apply with a small brush. any decent local hardware store will have it.
best of luck.
sage

Ml_work

Thanks Sage, I will check into that. The closer I look at the tree, it may be just the outer bark that is bad at this point.

Good Biking, I enjoy biking too, gotta have those gears though!
ML

centaura

If its just the bark that's been rotting, then scrape it away and Don't add the wood hardener. If the rot has gotten into the hardwood, and you have an area of deadwood that you need to stop from rotting the center of the tree out, then you can add wood hardener. Right now I would simply remove the moss - like Prowler said, moss is decoration for when you're showing a tree - when it lives on a tree year round its considered a sign of over-watering. When you mist the leaves of tree, I would cover that area of the bark to help it dry out. If the moss is removed and the bark can dry, you should be able to halt the rot.

-Centaura

Ml_work

Too Late.......I put some sealer on it today. Not much, I could not decide if I should or not. I think it is most just outer bark, but I did put a thin layer. I can water and mist without getting it wet. So far the leaves look great, I will continue to watch.
Thanks for the info,
ML