Has anyone ever heard of ideas to revitalize bark on a tree? Are there nutrients specifically used to feed bark? In doing just a bit of research I have come up empty. Seems like there should be more information about it instead of just how to clean it.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Maybe some of that superthrive stuff can bring back that shiny new bark look.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Why feed the bark? Or even feed the leaves. Plants have a system for nutrient uptake. The roots. THey have a system for energy uptake. The leaves. Feed the roots with nutrients and water. Put the tree in the appropriate amount of light. It will grow, thrive. And will be healthy. The bark needs no help.
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
Or maybe go old school and try Armorall.
Even I understand that simplified version of how plants grow I teach it to my garden club kids every year. People that grow trees and plants can look at that tree or plant and say "your plants leaves are a little yellow looks like they need some iron" I have never heard of anyone who can look at the bark of the tree and give some kind of diagnosis about what the tree may need. Just wondering why? The type of bark a tree has and what it looks like is a determining factor in what makes a bonsai tree desirable. Just seems we should know a bit more about it.
Milly
Shohin
Bark is dead...so how are you going to feed it?
discusmike
Omono
The only thing that makes bark look better is age.
Not sure how to revitalize bark threw nutrients but I used neem oil to recondition the bark on a tree with major hard water deposits. The leaves and bark had lots and lots of deposits. After a day or two the change in color looked more natural but it seemed to work well if your type of tree is ok with neem.
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Bark is indeed dead. It is largely empty cork cells and dead phloem. A little bit of bark is created each year. It grows from layers of cells called the 'cork cambium' that exists for a time interspersed between successive layers of phloem tubes (that eventually die and which were created by the vascular cambium that also makes xylem or wood).
I am aware of bark plates being glued onto the tree to hide/disguise damage. Otherwise I don't believe there is any known way to revitalize bark.
I am aware of bark plates being glued onto the tree to hide/disguise damage. Otherwise I don't believe there is any known way to revitalize bark.
Finger nails are dead but people spend big bucks on supplements for nails.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Just because people do something, does not mean it makes sense.
The only thing I have ever heard is that the North side of the bark roughens up faster than the South side. The story I heard is Kimura noticed this during a walk in the forest. All the trees had rougher, thicker bark on the North side.
So, there was a tree he wanted to have thicker, rougher bark before he worked on it. So, he positioned it so the front faced north, and left it there. For 5 years! Then he decided the bark was rough enough, and he styled it.
So, there was a tree he wanted to have thicker, rougher bark before he worked on it. So, he positioned it so the front faced north, and left it there. For 5 years! Then he decided the bark was rough enough, and he styled it.
Cactus have a sun side..when you plant cactus you need to make sure you have the right side towards the sun.
Another observation: some claim (and I think I heard this from Bill Valavanis) that trees "bark up" better when growing in pots rather than in the ground. They produce trunk girth slower, but make better bark in pots than in the ground.
If that's true, maybe @Osoyoung has an explanation.
If that's true, maybe @Osoyoung has an explanation.
Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
What exactly are you trying to accomplish? How do you revitalize something that is dead? Since trees grow from the cambium outward, you're more accurately replacing damaged bark with newer bark that may not have the same scars.
The fingernail example is not great, but close. If you smash your finger in a door and it damages the nail, you really can't "revitalize" the damaged nail, you just have to wait until the damaged nail is replaced with new nail without damage.
Damage is a different story...there are ways to repair or mitigate damage to tree bark. I was just thinking about the overall health of the tree and what that looks like when viewing the bark of a tree and can you influence the bark through manipulating the type of micronutrients you apply. I just have not heard much discussion about it.
leatherback
The Treedeemer
Hehe, you always have coral snakes in your pots?
miker
Chumono
Omg, is that a real coral snake (vs a fake rubber snake)?! The coloration pattern is right.
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
Just wondering...
Because I have noticed bark faster in damaged areas, and in light(dark lol) of the "north side"....
I wonder if it's not the pot, but our spinning and fiddling that ACTUALLY makes this true.
I mean, a tree merely left in a pot....won't know it's in a pot, so it would have no reason to "bark up" simply because of it.
Sorce
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