Cadillactaste
Neagari Gal
A tree with great character...I too would feature that deadwood...Shari? This will be a fun project to work.
Coast Live Oak
- Thread starter justBonsai
- Start date
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
I would not be overly concerned about preserving the deadwood. The natural rotting process, insects included, usually leaves the live wood alone and can often do a better job at creating a deadwood feature than we can. Even if it eventually rots into a hollow trunk it will look cool. I wouldn't want to keep live termites around my house though....
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Those are not termites. They are adult borers. The holes in the trunk are classic borer (probably a lyctus species) damage. You likely have more than two...
With that expanse of deadwood, they will be a problem for a long time. If you're unlucky, they can kill off the living portion of the tree by eating it from the inside...
Unless you plant it out in the ground for five or six years to make some progress in closing up that huge wound, I'd skip this as bonsai material. Far too much deadwood to mess with. The tree will always look kind of odd with that big dead portion with the living section almost completely in the back.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Borer larvae eat living tissue from inside the tree, concentrating on sapwood. If left alone, they can cause significant damage or kill a tree by girdling it from the inside.
BrianBay9
Masterpiece
OK, not those insects... I was thinking of the termites.
justBonsai
Omono
I'm fairly certain they're not borers. I've looked at many images of mature borers and they don't resemble them much. In any case come by spring I'll fumigate the inside of the trunk with some cotton balls, ceram rap, and raid to be on the safe side. The deadwood indeed will be a challenge to work--it does appear overbearing but in person appears fine. In any case I think it will be an interesting and worthwhile project.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Yeah, they're borers. Do a search on Lyctus beetles. There are a variety of them. The damage on your tree is NOT from termites. Termites don't leave single holes that size. Borers do. The expanse of deadwood on your tree is likely borer damage.
http://elmgrovelibrary.org/DocumentCenter/View/712
FWIW, there are a variety of insect larva that fall into the "borer" category.
Your fumigation plan will probably work. I've done much the same to get rid of termites and borers in old boxwood and fruit tree trunk. Setting the plastic wrapped trunk in the sun for an hour will supercharge the fumes and drive it deeper in the galleries in the trunk.
http://elmgrovelibrary.org/DocumentCenter/View/712
FWIW, there are a variety of insect larva that fall into the "borer" category.
Your fumigation plan will probably work. I've done much the same to get rid of termites and borers in old boxwood and fruit tree trunk. Setting the plastic wrapped trunk in the sun for an hour will supercharge the fumes and drive it deeper in the galleries in the trunk.
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justBonsai
Omono
How would you treat a tree for them?
EDIT:
I got a imidacloprid systemic I can apply on the tree later. Will this be sufficient as a precaution and treatment for borers?
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Potawatomi13
Imperial Masterpiece
Sorry there is not reply for so long. Systemic is good precaution and help but would also suggest topical spray on dead wood. Please be careful doing this as well as excess systemics as are toxic to other living things. Perhaps bag tree while spraying and keep catch basin under tree for runoff of both but not where any pets or critters can drink out of
.Since has been one growing season how does tree look today? Pictures? This year obtained unidentified Live Oak from club member and is doing well after major cutback because of major lump in upper trunk/branching area. Forum was helpful informing that I could do this.
justBonsai
Omono
Posted picture + update in this thread today!Sorry there is not reply for so long. Systemic is good precaution and help but would also suggest topical spray on dead wood. Please be careful doing this as well as excess systemics as are toxic to other living things. Perhaps bag tree while spraying and keep catch basin under tree for runoff of both but not where any pets or critters can drink out of
Since has been one growing season how does tree look today? Pictures? This year obtained unidentified Live Oak from club member and is doing well after major cutback because of major lump in upper trunk/branching area. Forum was helpful informing that I could do this.
http://www.bonsainut.com/threads/coast-live-oak-repotted.22129/page-2#post-379780
justBonsai
Omono
Tree update!
Responding very well after late summer cut backs. Will wire after lignifying maybe 1 week from now. Almost all of my primary branching is set with a lot of good movement in. Some secondary and tertiary branching on my lower branches as well. It amazes me how fast these grow here and how quickly branches thicken. My front approach graft failed--it looks like it may have fused partly but not enough to cut the doner end.
I am going to experiment with thread grafting in the spring. I will do another cut back then, defoliate a near by branch and thread it through. It's a bit of a gamble because oaks are semi-evergreen trees. But the tree's healthy and by cutting back everything but the defoliated branch I have confidence it can work.
Responding very well after late summer cut backs. Will wire after lignifying maybe 1 week from now. Almost all of my primary branching is set with a lot of good movement in. Some secondary and tertiary branching on my lower branches as well. It amazes me how fast these grow here and how quickly branches thicken. My front approach graft failed--it looks like it may have fused partly but not enough to cut the doner end.
I am going to experiment with thread grafting in the spring. I will do another cut back then, defoliate a near by branch and thread it through. It's a bit of a gamble because oaks are semi-evergreen trees. But the tree's healthy and by cutting back everything but the defoliated branch I have confidence it can work.
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