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Martin Brown · 13-11-2012, 11:52 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 10/11/2012 18:56, wrote:
In article ,
Martin wrote:

The only problem I can see is IF they contain Ash leaves and IF those
leaves are infected with die back fungus...................

Not likely to be a problem. The evidence is that it is a wind-borne
disease, and the only ones that matter are soil-borne ones with
durable spores.

It might be a good idea if they stopped importing all plants from
infected areas. Having said that the spores can travel as much as 30
km they now claim they are being blown across the North Sea a distance
of at 200km.

Even if stopping imports had been done in time, it wouldn't have
worked. The distribution is strongly indicative of it being wind-
borne for hundreds of kilometres. Actually, a wind-borne fungus
parasite that is carried only tens of kilometres is implausible,
though the amount carried will drop off rapidly with distance.

Our prevailing wind mostly protects us from transfer of spores from
Denmark and the like, but once Spain has it we are in trouble. However,
since it is already here windborn transmission is secondary since like
with foot and mouth it will be road transport that moves them around!

Other weather/nature related news waxwings have been seen in larger than
usual numbers which may indicate a coming cold weather snap. If you have
tender easily frost damaged plants still out now is a good time to get
them in or risk losing them as I did in 2009/10.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown