Is "spalted" a process or a wood characteristic? Can you explain to me please?
I was amazed that, when I looked up spalting in my wood and hordaculture books, and the dictionary, that there was no listing for spalting, spaulted, or spalted!!!
Spalting is any form of wood coloration caused by fungi. Primarly found in dead trees, but can also occure under stressed tree conditions on living trees. Spalting can be divided into 3 main groups in hardwoods. Pigmentatin, White rot, and zone lines. Softwoods are susceptable to brown rot which degrades the wood quickly. The conditions required for spalting to occure are the same conditions required for fungal growth. Fixed nitrigen levels, micronutriants, water, warn temputure, and the proper amount of oxygen mix.
The most common type, called blue spalting, is ceratocystis spp. It is a member of the ascomycetes.
Next is White rot, found all over the world, trametes versicolor basidiomyctes.
Rarest is one of the few fungi that bleach wood and will erect zone lines. xylaria polymorpha (per.ex mer grev.) also an ascomycetes.
If you would like to know more about spalting, look up spalting on Wikipedia.com, there is a world of information on there I never knew existed...Jim S