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#1
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
About six months ago, an established conifer in my back garden (which
was already fully grown when I moved in about 10 years ago) started to go brown. Its dead now. A 5 year old eucalyptus which I planted in my front garden started dying about 3 months ago. Leaves just started shrivelling up like it had been poisoned and then the whole thing just died. Another eucalyptus a couple of metres away from it which I'd planted at the same time was next, it died a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if this is in any way related, but I've got a bauxite pebble driveway and on the weekend as I was dragging away the chainsawed carcass of my conifer, my foot broke through the crust and sank about half way to my knee. When I stamped around the hole, the surrounds fell in too, now I have a big circular hole in my driveway about 50cm wide and 30cm deep. Having a sinkhole form in my driveway (there is no sinkwell under that spot, before you ask) makes me wonder if water tables might be falling in my suburb (Thornlie), but if it was something as wide as that I might expect to see trees dying all over the place. They're not, its just my trees. There was an article in the local paper about dieback in the area, but while this could be an explanation for my eucalypts dying I don't think that affects conifers does it? (Maybe the conifer could be a coincidence, it had just died of old age). I have perfectly healthy (so far) citrus and stone fruit, my palms are doing ok and my native garden out the front has plenty of other things including advanced Hakeas, Melaleucas, Acacias and an Allocasurina which aren't dying. The two eucalypts side by side suddenly dying within a couple of months ago does strongly imply to me that there is more than coincidence here. Any thoughts? Travis |
#2
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
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. Good luck with replacements. Lady Gardener "Travis" wrote in message oups.com... About six months ago, an established conifer in my back garden (which was already fully grown when I moved in about 10 years ago) started to go brown. Its dead now. A 5 year old eucalyptus which I planted in my front garden started dying about 3 months ago. Leaves just started shrivelling up like it had been poisoned and then the whole thing just died. Another eucalyptus a couple of metres away from it which I'd planted at the same time was next, it died a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if this is in any way related, but I've got a bauxite pebble driveway and on the weekend as I was dragging away the chainsawed carcass of my conifer, my foot broke through the crust and sank about half way to my knee. When I stamped around the hole, the surrounds fell in too, now I have a big circular hole in my driveway about 50cm wide and 30cm deep. Having a sinkhole form in my driveway (there is no sinkwell under that spot, before you ask) makes me wonder if water tables might be falling in my suburb (Thornlie), but if it was something as wide as that I might expect to see trees dying all over the place. They're not, its just my trees. There was an article in the local paper about dieback in the area, but while this could be an explanation for my eucalypts dying I don't think that affects conifers does it? (Maybe the conifer could be a coincidence, it had just died of old age). I have perfectly healthy (so far) citrus and stone fruit, my palms are doing ok and my native garden out the front has plenty of other things including advanced Hakeas, Melaleucas, Acacias and an Allocasurina which aren't dying. The two eucalypts side by side suddenly dying within a couple of months ago does strongly imply to me that there is more than coincidence here. Any thoughts? Travis |
#3
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
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 |
#4
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
"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 |
#5
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
You should have a pest control expert examine your yard , especially if you
have timber in your home, termites can munch through untreated timber in no time. ---------------------------------------------------- Robin at Crystal Brook. Online Sales: http://www.mrstationmaster.biz/myfunds.html |
#6
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
In article .com,
"Travis" wrote: Do termites attack eucalypt roots? Probably depends on type. The ones that eat houses like dead wood, such as woodchip mulch and the aforementioned house timbers. -- Chookie -- Sydney, Australia (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply) "Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled." Kerry Cue |
#7
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
loosecanon wrote: 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. The eucalypts and the conifer seem to be the only affected plants. the rest of the garden is doing very well. Abundant citrus, fruits forming on my guavas for the first time this year, if I had bothered to spray for fruit fly I'd have had all the stonefruit and pears I could eat, the natives out the front (with the exception of the two dead eucalypts) are thriving on neglect, like they're supposed to. Travis |
#8
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
Not a one! However I am guilty of some other gardening sins which require
constant hacking down, but not a willow does remain (and there was only one, planted strategically to stop the oddball over the road from having an uninterrupted view into my front door) j "loosecanon" opined.............. I now wonder how many willows the Lady Gardener has planted in Ferndale to reduce the water table. Only kidding Joanne! Enjoy Richard |
#9
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
G'day Travis
I'd get a pest controller to check out the termites, as one variety nests under large flat rocks......your driveway is the perfect 'flat rock' specially when they are active in the woodchip mulch. There are many, many varieties of termites so someone with knowledge if which ones are in your area would be the best person to check it for you. I wouldn't have woodchip mulch because of termites, but that comes from being in that industry for too many years and seeing the damage they can do to houses.......even a steel framed house sitting on a concrete slab is not off their menu, believe me I've seen that one with my own eyes, they ate the paper layer on the gyprock lining the walls and ceilings, then bridged across and attacked antique furniture. They had also eaten the insulation of all electric cables.....not a pretty picture at all!! Only wish I had a camera with me at the time, felt so sorry for the owner as it the house had to be almost completely rebuilt and of course, there were areas in the house that weren't visible so who knows what was happening there? Good luck.....post back with the findings, I would be interested to read the results. Bronwyn ;-) Travis wrote: 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 |
#10
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Perth: Trees dying in my garden
"HC" wrote in message ... G'day Travis I'd get a pest controller to check out the termites, as one variety nests under large flat rocks......your driveway is the perfect 'flat rock' specially when they are active in the woodchip mulch. There are many, many varieties of termites so someone with knowledge if which ones are in your area would be the best person to check it for you. I wouldn't have woodchip mulch because of termites, but that comes from being in that industry for too many years and seeing the damage they can do to houses.......even a steel framed house sitting on a concrete slab is not off their menu, believe me I've seen that one with my own eyes, they ate the paper layer on the gyprock lining the walls and ceilings, then bridged across and attacked antique furniture. They had also eaten the insulation of all electric cables.....not a pretty picture at all!! Only wish I had a camera with me at the time, felt so sorry for the owner as it the house had to be almost completely rebuilt and of course, there were areas in the house that weren't visible so who knows what was happening there? Good luck.....post back with the findings, I would be interested to read the results. Bronwyn ;-) Travis wrote: 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 I'd surely have someone checking out the termites when every second wooden power pole in Western Australia has white ants in them. Shame Western Power only earmarks a few as treated. If you don't believe me go around and look at power poles. Those that have been treated have a yellow metal tag attached saying they have been treated. The rest either have metal spikes on the side acting as support to the damage already done or are on the lean. I also think that some termites are happy to be in ground and would never venture into the rafters of your house. But then again that variety of termite is out there. Those with untreated pine roof rafters beware. Cheers Richard |
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