BRT sticky wicket...

[Forsoothe!]

I did a very heavy edit of this tree today, spending the 1st hour removing dead twigs so I could see the interior of the canopy and do some serious reduction. I managed to get the top to form a semi-rounded crown this year and wanted to keep it that way, but reduce the overall size. Once I got into reducing live wood and growing tips it started to fight back. I could see droplets of liquid forming on twigs towards the ends all over the tree. I thought they were water droplets. The soil was dry, but not bone dry. I thought it was odd, but as I proceeded I got sticky, my tools got sticky, pieces I cut off got stuck rather than falling through the branches. By the time I was finished I had to wash my hands and tools before I could repot the demon. I have worked on this tree for more than 10 years, but without as much reducing of the canopy before.

Has this happened to others?

 

[Paradox]

Interesting.

I cant recall any of my BRT making me and my tools sticky when working on them.
It happens all the time with ficus but I dont recall my BRT dripping that much sap.

 

[penumbra]

Must be tiiming. I have not experienced that with BRT.

 

[JudyB]

I saw some sap when I'd prune mine, I don't think its anything to worry about.

 

[sorce]

I went on a mission to find some info, there isn't a lot out there that isn't about Bonsai.

Can pruning alone change the composition of the sap? It could I guess.

But I'd want to make sure it doesn't have pests.

Do you remember if the sap was sticky the whole pruning? Or just towards the end?

Sorce

 

[sorce]

Maybe nematodes.

Sorce

 

[AlainK]

Er... what's "BRT" ?

 

[Forsoothe!]

Brazilian Raintree. I'm not worried, the volume is pretty minor. The sap did not emit from the cuts, it was and still is in tiny beads on the green petioles and leaves and towards the ends of twigs. No nematodes here. And no other bugs typical of honeydew, either. I looked very close and the sap beads did not start until I had finished trimming the deadwood off and had begun the reduction of live wood. I sincerely believe I'm looking at a defense mechanism against chewing insects because of the time line and the fact that the sap came out of un-wounded wood instead of at the cuts which are dry as a bone. Some plants have sap that is poisonous to critters, but I haven't heard anything about BRT. Perhaps only a Brazilian native who knows these trees in their home range can address this question?

 

[Paradox]

@Forsoothe!

If it's on the leaves and petioles then you have a scale infestation.

They are probably really tiny and hard to see. I get them on my ficus every winter

 

[AlainK]

Brazilian Raintree.

Oh, OK.
Thanks for decoding, I understand why I couldn't name it, we don't have these here across the pond.

 

[Forsoothe!]

@Forsoothe!

If it's on the leaves and petioles then you have a scale infestation.

They are probably really tiny and hard to see. I get them on my ficus every winter

No Bugs. I take steps including systemic coming into greenhouse and again in January. I reiterate: no dew was present until I cut into green wood. I spent an hour reaching in to eliminate dead ends without encountering any sap. This was necessary because of all the crossing branches which had accumulated as I grew the rounded top, and I couldn't get a clear enough view of green wood until I cut out the dead ends. You know how they grow: skinny bull canes straight as an arrow criss-crossing with virtually no subdivisions. They ramify less than anything else I've ever grown. Except maybe Lantana.

 

[Paradox]

No Bugs. I take steps including systemic coming into greenhouse and again in January. I reiterate: no dew was present until I cut into green wood. I spent an hour reaching in to eliminate dead ends without encountering any sap. This was necessary because of all the crossing branches which had accumulated as I grew the rounded top, and I couldn't get a clear enough view of green wood until I cut out the dead ends. You know how they grow: skinny bull canes straight as an arrow criss-crossing with virtually no subdivisions. They ramify less than anything else I've ever grown. Except maybe Lantana.

Hmm beats me then.

Did it stop at some point after you were done working on the tree?

And yea, they grow annoyingly single shoots.

 

[leatherback]

we don't have these here across the pond.

Some of us across the pond do though ..

 

[Forsoothe!]

There are tiny droplets on the remaining foliage and petioles. It is listed among plants as, "...The most cytotoxic dietary plants were from Pithecellobium" in the diet of the hoatzin, a south American bird that eats foliage. Evidently, I've been confused with a reptile bird. Maybe I didn't comb my hair...

 

[AlainK]

Some of us across the pond do though

Do you ?

 

[Forsoothe!]

Sometimes...

 

[leatherback]

Do you ?

A raintree at 52 degrees North

A few weeks ago I had the chance to join @Clicio to a bonsai show in Sao Paulo. On a cool spring day, we went to the botanical garden of Sao Paulo, and strolled through a show. My shirt was quickly soaked, because spring weather is 32c / 90F warm, no wind, high humidity. In any case, I saw...

www.bonsainut.com

 

[LanceMac10]

It's been posited that these "excretions" are the machinations of excess salt removal. As noted, these "droplets" are present among the leaf petioles. I would think the "vehicle" for this purging would be sap-based. Perhaps this could account for the "sticky" you've experienced. I would think a plants sap would have to include some sugar component.

I have seen these "droplets" as well. Tree was in fine health, so shouldn't be anything to worry about in your case. As I've mentioned before, BRT's nearly bug proof.

Ramification? You've mentioned before that you pinch new growth back often. I think this is part of your problem. Grow out, cut back, repeat.....

 

[Forsoothe!]

I've had the tree for going on 12 years. I'm familiar with how to encourage ramification. These respond poorly.