green mound

I purchased my first Bonsai about 2 months ago. Everything seemed great up until two weeks ago. I found what looks like some kind of disease on the stem of my green mound. Multiple areas of the stem seem to be infected. It seems as though it is “bleeding” and there is some disease growing on...

This is my first ficus (from Wigert's), and I'm not feeling inspired at all. No taper. Any suggestions? So far, the only things I can think of is the following chop (first notch halfway, then when mostly healed finish by air layering the top), or wrapping another container around the trunk and...