AusBonsai

Hi, I have been neglecting my remaining swamp cypress a bit but it has leaves out quite nicely since spring started. I’ve just gone to check out the branches and wire and found quite a lot of very soft wood at the base of the trunk. I’m not sure if it’s rot or if something is boring up there but I stuck some large gauge wire up there and no insects came out. I haven’t repotted yet but I suspect the roots in this area are dead. But there are new roots coming out of the bottom of the colander. Any ideas? Should I repot and treat the area with lime sulphur? I will have to take off some bark to see how far it extends.

It doesn't look that bad but the photo may be deceiving. I would just dig out/dremel all of the soft wood and treat with Earls. Do you have a free draining mix ?

Not entirely sure what the mix is like anymore. I think it’s part scoria, part pumice part potting mix and it’s been in a colander pot in the ground until 2 months ago then I dug it out to kill the weeds in the grow bed. It’s been sitting on top but not buried since. It had a deciduous phase this year but now has started to shoot everywhere again.

A lot of the big surface roots have died where I root pruned heavily in the past but it has lovely new white roots coming out of the bottom of the colander. It needs a proper inspection at repot this year but it’ll have to wait until I’ve had this baby!

I’ll get some wood hardener, thanks Bougy