portulacaria trunk peeling

[himmelich]

Hi this portulacaria afria is my first proper bonsai. It arrived with a bit of the “bark” on the trunk kind of peeling and torn. I have been taking care of it per instructions but it looks kind of bad and I’m afraid it might become susceptible to disease. Is there a way to fix this? Or is it just normal? The person I bought it from said it was “just the cut that was made from where the cutting was rooted” but I do not really understand what that means. I cannot find any information about this searching the web and forums. Is my tree in trouble or is there something I am doing wrong in caring for it? Should I cut the bark off or put a fungicide on it? She just gave me watering instructions.

How it looks now:



This is how the tree arrived:

 

[Russ1]

Just guessing but maybe too much water.

 

[RODERLO]

Does that area, or the entire trunk at that height feel soft or mushy? If so, it’s rotting.
If not, it may have been an injury sustained from something accidentally nicking it.

In any case: do not peel or remove more bark and do not cover it with cut paste or anything else that seals it. Port. Afra cannot tolerate that and it will start to rot underneath.

 

[himmelich]

Does that area, or the entire trunk at that height feel soft or mushy? If so, it’s rotting.
If not, it may have been an injury sustained from something accidentally nicking it.

In any case: do not peel or remove more bark and do not cover it with cut paste or anything else that seals it. Port. Afra cannot tolerate that and it will start to rot underneath.

No the tree looks pretty good actually… I think?
What do I do to save it?

 

[Shibui]

I don't think you need do anything to save the tree. A small area of damaged bark is of little consequence to most trees, Usually the new bark gradually grows over the area but even if that does not happen any tree can live a full and productive life with a bit of dead wood on the trunk.
Just take a look at pictures of coast redwoods like the Shrine tree. Some have been completely hollow for hundreds of years but still alive and healthy.