The struggle between emergency repotting, and wrong season.

[Clicio]

There is proof of borer activity. Considering they eat cambium. And can travel under the bark . There destruction can be extensive . Suggest plug the holes their exit holes .

Thanks for the suggestion, I will spray borer poison inside them, and close the holes afterwards.

 

[Clicio]

Have a little faith, my friend! I am confident you can pull it through this setback! Personally have seen junipers recover from much, much worse. I think there is excellent chance this will pull through.

Hey, thanks for being so optimistic!
Good to read your supporting words.

 

[Matt B]

On the subject of emergency repot I have experience . A friend had his collection the victim of sabotage . A asshole poured Miratic acid brick cleaner on his collection .

Sounds like a justification for homicide to me. I hope he got some jail time for that, but I suspect a judge wouldn't find some plants worth doling out some justice, unless he was into bonsai himself...

 

[trigo]

Hey clicio, i don't know if you have watched any of Renato Bocabello's lives, but currently it appears to be happening a really big infestation of borers in São Paulo. I would not repot right now if i were in your shoes, our climate is very different from the rest of the world, a summer repot may be the final nail in the coffin of this poor juniper. I would apply imidacloprid, that will kill any borers and protect it from future infestation. soil drench together with foliar application. It's kind of hard to get it in brazil, you need to have cadpro (cadastro de produtor rural), but there are some sites you can buy from, if you can't get any send me a PM and i can send you some. I live in Parana and i also had some problems that has been solved since i started using imidacloprid.

Also where did you get that juniper? from kojima?

 

[Paradox]

Lots of good advice here.
I agree with the others, this tree doesnt seem to be in a dire situation but you do need to figure out and get this under control.
I think youll be ok if you can get it figured out.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Sounds like a justification for homicide to me. I hope he got some jail time for that, but I suspect a judge wouldn't find some plants worth doling out some justice, unless he was into bonsai himself...

No one ever charged .main suspect was rival in business to the owner . He knew something was wrong as soon as he came home .things moved then he smelled the. Acid . It was literally a all nighter repot of the collection . Killed about 1/3 Including his best tree a old collected eastern Larch . Windswept tree with stunning delicate deadwood . . The wife’s complete tropical collection . And a very nice 10’nch base trunk Japanese maple

 

[Potawatomi13]

6 legged adults, as per picture below.

Whole heartedly believe tree has cambium damage from Bark Beetle larvae. Repot likely to only further weaken tree. Give optimum care and wait to see what parts of tree not succumbing to bugs too vigorous efforts. Many excellent Yamadori because of these creatures so may wind up wih excellent tree in time when all said and done.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Besides cleaning the live vein . As Ryan Neal recommends . Does anybody have a effective preventive measure . To stop
The borers before they get started . I dormant spray my fruiting stuff fall and spring . ( this is apple growing countryside here ) is there a preventative measure like that that is safe . On juniper

 

[Clicio]

Hey clicio, i don't know if you have watched any of Renato Bocabello's lives, but currently it appears to be happening a really big infestation of borers in São Paulo.

Hi @trigo, yes, I've been following Bocabello's battle against the brocas, which worries me as... we are both in São Paulo.

I would apply imidacloprid, that will kill any borers and protect it from future infestation.

Thanks for the tip!

...Send me a PM and i can send you some. I live in Parana and i also had some problems that been solved since i started using imidacloprid.

Ok, very helpful, I'll be sending you a PM soon, thanks again.

Also where did you get that juniper? from kojima?

Yes, from Kojima san nursery.
I know some bonsai people say Kojima had a big borer infestation at the nursery, but I had already purchased the tree...
So now I have to deal with the problem.

 

[Clicio]

What triggers my interest is this part:
View attachment 464578
Because it's showing thickening that I've only seen with certain types of rust...
Could you maybe take a look under the bark? If it's orange, that's bad news.

Hey, @Wires_Guy_wires thanks for the tips.
NOW we've got a problem, I guess...

BEFORE brushing the bark.


AFTER brushing the bark.


Is that the orange tone we are afraid of?

Please say no.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Hey, @Wires_Guy_wires thanks for the tips.
NOW we've got a problem, I guess...

BEFORE brushing the bark.
View attachment 464615

AFTER brushing the bark.
View attachment 464616

Is that the orange tone we are afraid of?

Please say no.

No. It's not the orange that would worry me at this time. This looks like regular woody bark structures, not Rust. In the first picture where you didn't brush it yet, I do see a laesion in the bark, which could the an emerging fruiting body but I would expect these to be bigger.

I see white too, which is live tissue. If it was rust, the white part would be orange in color.
I do spot what looks like another borer tunnel right in the center of the second picture.

Still, keep an eye out. I'm not a 100% sure, but rust is rarely deadly for junipers.

 

[Dav4]

Hey, @Wires_Guy_wires thanks for the tips.
NOW we've got a problem, I guess...

BEFORE brushing the bark.
View attachment 464615

AFTER brushing the bark.
View attachment 464616

Is that the orange tone we are afraid of?

Please say no.

We deliberately remove the flaky outer bark on junipers to expose the reddish colored new bark in preparation for exhibition. That bark looks normal. I've never experienced borer damage in a juniper, but I have in other species, and I can say the damage is typically well hidden- assuming you don't spot the telltale piles of frass on the soil- and the tree slowly weakens as new growth slows or stops entirely and foliage in affected areas becomes less vibrant and appears "sick". I'm betting what you're seeing is borer related. Good luck bring the tree back to health... I HATE BORERS!!!

 

[Frozentreehugger]

We deliberately remove the flaky outer bark on junipers to expose the reddish colored new bark in preparation for exhibition. That bark looks normal. I've never experienced borer damage in a juniper, but I have in other species, and I can say the damage is typically well hidden- assuming you don't spot the telltale piles of frass on the soil- and the tree slowly weakens as new growth slows or stops entirely and foliage in affected areas becomes less vibrant and appears "sick". I'm betting what you're seeing is borer related. Good luck bring the tree back to health... I HATE BORERS!!!

Borers cost me my collected livestock chomped wild apple just starting the refinement stage so I hate then also . With extreme prejudice . According to Ryan Neal in his vid in cleaning the live vein . This practice became the norm in Japan . Not to create the look . To. Exhibit juniper bonsai The look is a by product of the practice . The live vein is stripped of outer bark and cleaned . This removes the rough bark therefore denying the adult. Borers a location to lay there eggs . Therefore it is a pest control technique . The look became the norm out of necessity . Rough bark may look aged but dead trees don’t exhibit well this is the long standing practiced in Japan.

 

[Dav4]

Borers cost me my collected livestock chomped wild apple just starting the refinement stage so I hate then also . With extreme prejudice . According to Ryan Neal in his vid in cleaning the live vein . This practice became the norm in Japan . Not to create the look . To. Exhibit juniper bonsai The look is a by product of the practice . The live vein is stripped of outer bark and cleaned . This removes the rough bark therefore denying the adult. Borers a location to lay their eggs . Therefore it is a pest control technique . The look became the norm out of necessity . Rough bark may look aged but dead trees don’t exhibit well this is the long standing practiced in Japan.

Older, flaky bark can definitely harbor pests of various sorts and removing it is advantageous in areas where certain pests like borers are common. I don’t subscribe to Ryan’s service, so I can’t speak to exactly what he said, my junipers have never ever had issues with borers and I don’t routinely remove the older bark from their trunk and branches. I’ve also noted many professionals mainly advocating cleaning up the bark prior to exhibition as the polished, shiny red new bark really pops next to bleached deadwood as an as opposed to health maintenance. Anyway, semantics I suppose. All my junipers are currently covered up in at least a few years of bark and I’m not concerned in the slightest .

 

[River's Edge]

Just to throw out an alternative approach. The juniper foliage damage can be due to fungal issues that can occur with borers. The beetles and larvae can often carry infectious agents into the tree causing a secondary issue. I would consider treating for fungal infection. I have experienced this combination of problems with a Kishu juniper that I acquired in California. After removing the borers and treating with Bonide Infuse granular fungal treatment the tree is now healthy and growing vigorously again. The picture shows the two products I have used for reference.

 

[Frozentreehugger]

Older, flaky bark can definitely harbor pests of various sorts and removing it is advantageous in areas where certain pests like borers are common. I don’t subscribe to Ryan’s service, so I can’t speak to exactly what he said, my junipers have never ever had issues with borers and I don’t routinely remove the older bark from their trunk and branches. I’ve also noted many professionals mainly advocating cleaning up the bark prior to exhibition as the polished, shiny red new bark really pops next to bleached deadwood as an as opposed to health maintenance. Anyway, semantics I suppose. All my junipers are currently covered up in at least a few years of bark and I’m not concerned in the slightest .

I’m not a subscriber thinking about joining . Was just relaying what he said about why do it and how the practice came to be . He did say the practice is not as widely accepted in the west . And the risk is higher than most believe . Especially in warmer climates . Hence my question is there a known modern deterrent that anyone uses to keep the flaky aged bark and control the pests

 

[Clicio]

The live vein is stripped of outer bark and cleaned . This removes the rough bark therefore denying the adult. Borers a location to lay there eggs . Therefore it is a pest control technique .

Very, very interesting.
Not only aesthetically speaking, but for the health of the tree. Good.

 

[trigo]

hey @Clicio, how is this tree doing? any new growth??

 

[Clicio]

hey @Clicio, how is this tree doing? any new growth??

Struggling but alive.
We have noticed new growth, which is always a good sign.
Thanks for asking!