We have a 12-14 year old high-graft dissectum (Beni Kagami, I believe) with some recent problems. We think we were attacked by a leaf roller type (we hand-picked as many larvae as we could find last Fall - no chemical spraying was done except some light non-pesticidal oil spray bottle - symptoms: extensive dead branches, dead leaves, typically isolated but pervasive, taking entire branches. (After pruning, it looks like the entire West-facing side of the tree was removed. (We are in Central New Jersey.) Early Spring this year, when leaves were out, sap flowing, etc., I meticulously pruned all the dead stuff (with very clean stainless bonsai cutters and saws), including sawing off a 1-7/8 inch caliper vertical branch at the top (ugh, it was painful!). The tree is now quite lopsided, but appears to be surviving well, except for a recent appearance last week of two 6-7" vertical bark splits on opposite sides of the remaining upper trunk directly below the rather large sawed-off "amputation". I have not peeled back the bark or inspected closely for any critter life thereunder ... What's going on?
