Question on existing wounds and adding "character"

[jkennedy2316]

I recently snagged a decent Colorado Blue Spruce on discount from a nursery. I managed to talk them into marking the price down more than half because of the large wound at the base of the trunk. Maybe I am way off base - but I recalled watching this in a video about selecting nursery stock: the average person might pass up on a tree with a visible scar, but a bonsai enthusiast might take a closer look because it adds character.

I am not quite sure how this wound came to be. Did I screw up and buy a dying tree, or is this something that I could build upon?

Any advice on whether I should look at healing this wound or keeping it as a feature?

If I wanted to make it a feature, would I treat with lime sulphur? And if i wanted to heal, should I clean up, lightly scrape surrounding wood and apply cut paste?

 

[rockm]

I'd be very interested to see what caused the damage. Looks to me like borer damage, which could mean the critter is still inside the trunk and can cause further problems.

 

[jkennedy2316]

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[jkennedy2316]

I'd be very interested to see what caused the damage. Looks to me like borer damage, which could mean the critter is still inside the trunk and can cause further problems.

Meant to reply to you: Uh oh. Any way I can determine if it is a borer and treat? Feel like cleaning and lime sulphur might do the trick, but I also have no idea what I am talking about!

 

[rockm]

Meant to reply to you: Uh oh. Any way I can determine if it is a borer and treat? Feel like cleaning and lime sulphur might do the trick, but I also have no idea what I am talking about!

If it is a borer, neither lime sulphur or cleaning will do anything. Borers chew from the inside out. There are many kinds of borers (which are the larval stage of a beetle) Best way to get rid of them is to burrow into the wood after them and squish them. I'm not positive this is what it is, but you'll have to clear some of that sap away to see if there's an entrance hole. The pattern of damage, however, is pretty consistent with borer damage than I've seen.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Aside with dealing with scars caused by pests, I don't worry about "scars" at all. I'm in the Walter Pall camp on that subject. I celebrate scars and actually make them bigger and/or more irregular. To me, one of the goals is to make a tree look old and weathered from dealing with the elements.

 

[jkennedy2316]

If it is a borer, neither lime sulphur or cleaning will do anything. Borers chew from the inside out. There are many kinds of borers (which are the larval stage of a beetle) Best way to get rid of them is to burrow into the wood after them and squish them. I'm not positive this is what it is, but you'll have to clear some of that sap away to see if there's an entrance hole. The pattern of damage, however, is pretty consistent with borer damage than I've seen.

Take a look. I did some research and this doesn't look like borer damage. The sap accumulation did look similar but I haven't been able to find any visible holes.

Next thought it could be spruce canker but none of the surrounding branches so any sign of browning or canker symptoms.

I like how this looks, assuming I can address any issues that could have caused it.

Is this something I should apply sulfur too now? I am sensitive about trying to carve to deep but I suppose I could if the tree could survive it.

 

[jkennedy2316]

Aside with dealing with scars caused by pests, I don't worry about "scars" at all. I'm in the Walter Pall camp on that subject. I celebrate scars and actually make them bigger and/or more irregular. To me, one of the goals is to make a tree look old and weathered from dealing with the elements.

Assuming no pest issues, how would you go about celebrating this scar? Is this about as big as youd go?

 

[rockm]

Assuming no pest issues, how would you go about celebrating this scar? Is this about as big as youd go?

The problem with uro is they can tend to look like cat's assholes...Sorry but that's the best way to describe them when they're uniform and callus evenly. To be believable, you've got to rip the bottom down, make the edges uneven and hollow out the wound into the trunk. Hollowing can be tricky, as it can not only structurally compromise the tree, but can also wind up being a sump for disease and rot. As things are now, you're getting uniform callusing on the wound (and no without the sap accumulation, it's apparent that it's not borers). That's not going to look "natural" as much as it will look like a weird space on the otherwise pretty nice trunk.

Natural damage (and I don't think damage here is natural per se, as the tree's from a nursery and was likely pruned back), is indeed something to be celebrated UNLESS its distracting, stupid looking (and nature sometimes does something that looks stupid to human esthetics) or unnatural (same here).

 

[jkennedy2316]

The problem with uro is they can tend to look like cat's assholes...Sorry but that's the best way to describe them when they're uniform and callus evenly. To be believable, you've got to rip the bottom down, make the edges uneven and hollow out the wound into the trunk. Hollowing can be tricky, as it can not only structurally compromise the tree, but can also wind up being a sump for disease and rot. As things are now, you're getting uniform callusing on the wound (and no without the sap accumulation, it's apparent that it's not borers). That's not going to look "natural" as much as it will look like a weird space on the otherwise pretty nice trunk.

Natural damage (and I don't think damage here is natural per se, as the tree's from a nursery and was likely pruned back), is indeed something to be celebrated UNLESS its distracting, stupid looking (and nature sometimes does something that looks stupid to human esthetics) or unnatural (same here).

hah. Now that you made the analogy I can't unsee it. If I'm hearing you correct, I need to gnarl this much more around the edges and bottom so it's more believable. In terms of hollowing out the trunk, how far are we talking? I stopped cleaning right around when I felt like I was hitting hardwood and not bark.

 

[jkennedy2316]

hah. Now that you made the analogy I can't unsee it. If I'm hearing you correct, I need to gnarl this much more around the edges and bottom so it's more believable. In terms of hollowing out the trunk, how far are we talking? I stopped cleaning right around when I felt like I was hitting hardwood and not bark.

Don't know why I can't edit my comment, but I wanted to add a little more. I think I will go through with hollowing the trunk, but not until the Fall.

 

[Dav4]

I wouldn't be too concerned about the way that deadwood feature looks like right now... read that as "don't worry about it this year". In fact, I can see what's already there as part of something bigger and more dramatic. With that being said, figure out the overall future design of the tree and plan to carve to improve/enlarge the deadwood over time to improve the tree. Remember, you can't undo carving or hollowing out.