"Travis" wrote in message
oups.com...

The Lady Gardener wrote:
Hi Travis

the conifer sounds like the canker that has been going through Perth,
slowly, surely and indiscriminately for many years. The gum trees
could be
dieback or just 'their time', but do check them out for white ants. I
am in
Ferndale, and can concur that the water tables are seemingly dropping,
though I have yet to actually lose any trees.

Do termites attack eucalypt roots?

I know termites are there, I've got thick woodchip mulch in my front
yard and termites are all through it. When I pick up a piece of wood,
its often got live termites wriggling around in it.

But when I was chainsawing the eucalypts (and the conifer) I saw no
evidence of any termite damage. The crosssection of the stump appears
fine.

I looked quite carefully at my cuts, hoping to find evidence of
something boring around in them, I saw nothing.

But if the termites are only attacking the roots, that would explain
it.

And maybe the termite nest is under the driveway....

Travis


Sounds like the pine did go to canker. I hear now there is a fungicide used
to cure it. As for the gum trees I strongly suspect that it was an abundence
of urea taken up by the roots. This is probably as a result of 50 funds
managers peeing on the trees after dobbing them in over trailing
commissions. It also probably accounts for the citrus trees doing well. Then
again I could be wrong which wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

General rule is to replant whatever carks and eventually something will
work.

I now wonder how many willows the Lady Gardener has planted in Ferndale to
reduce the water table. Only kidding Joanne!

Enjoy

Richard