Advice please: NSW Christmas Bushes
 

I'm talking Ceratopetalum gummiferum here

I have put some pics online
http://www.innerweb.com.au/ourgarden...tmasbushes.htm but to describe
the problem, we have 5 in a row. They start out ok on the left, then
deteriorate moving toward the right. I can't work out any difference in
soil, sun or drainage characteristics between the rhs and lhs. We did a ph
test - pretty uniform, the soil on the happier plants showed the same
slightly acid reading as the soil on the sad plants, so we added some lime -
that was about 6 weeks ago.

We keep them well seesol'd and blood and boned, also a little osmocote 'for
natives'. The problem is displayed by the brown tips on what otherwise
appears a healthy leaf. The larger the percentage of brown, the worse that
tree looks overall - even the happiest of the bushes have developed slight
brown tips. We have had the trees I think nearly two years. Last year they
were perfectly happy - all uniform and well.

We are in Brisbane, but the plants are in a sheltered courtyard - they
receive some direct sunlight (each bush gets about the same amount) but it
is mostly filtered.

Any advice would be appreciated :)

Advice please: NSW Christmas Bushes
 

Casper wrote:
I'm talking Ceratopetalum gummiferum here

Any advice would be appreciated :)

Basically, no idea. justa few 2c.

Drainage? too little?
Naturally, around Gosford in the bush, they grow on sandy soil derived
from Hawkesbury Sandstone. Dad has one at home on heavier soils, but it
is on the slope and thus drained.

Too much fertiliser?

Advice please: NSW Christmas Bushes
 

In article ,
"Casper" wrote:

I'm talking Ceratopetalum gummiferum here

I have put some pics online
http://www.innerweb.com.au/ourgarden...tmasbushes.htm but to describe
the problem, we have 5 in a row. They start out ok on the left, then
deteriorate moving toward the right. I can't work out any difference in
soil, sun or drainage characteristics between the rhs and lhs. We did a ph
test - pretty uniform, the soil on the happier plants showed the same
slightly acid reading as the soil on the sad plants, so we added some lime -
that was about 6 weeks ago.

We keep them well seesol'd and blood and boned, also a little osmocote 'for
natives'.

I suspect you are over-fertilising them. You use blood and bone or Osmocote
(not AND) only once a year; dunno about Seasol. Have you been doing more than
that? From now on, just water them once a week or so to leach out some of
those excess nutrients.

I cannot fathom why you added lime given that the happier and sadder plants
had the same acidity anyway. NSW soils are acidic, as are Australian soils
generally. Christmas bush will tolerate clay but is originally from poor,
sandy, rocky soils, so it doesn't need a lot of feeding. The other
possibility is that they are getting too much water, I suppose -- they don't
like wet feet.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/

Advice please: NSW Christmas Bushes
 

Unless of course they have got dieback and it is slowly moving through the
soil having started at one end.


"Chookie" wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-30323A.21232308102007@news...
In article ,
"Casper" wrote:

I'm talking Ceratopetalum gummiferum here

I have put some pics online
http://www.innerweb.com.au/ourgarden...tmasbushes.htm but to
describe
the problem, we have 5 in a row. They start out ok on the left, then
deteriorate moving toward the right. I can't work out any difference in
soil, sun or drainage characteristics between the rhs and lhs. We did a
ph
test - pretty uniform, the soil on the happier plants showed the same
slightly acid reading as the soil on the sad plants, so we added some
lime -
that was about 6 weeks ago.

We keep them well seesol'd and blood and boned, also a little osmocote
'for
natives'.

I suspect you are over-fertilising them. You use blood and bone or
Osmocote
(not AND) only once a year; dunno about Seasol. Have you been doing more
than
that? From now on, just water them once a week or so to leach out some of
those excess nutrients.

I cannot fathom why you added lime given that the happier and sadder
plants
had the same acidity anyway. NSW soils are acidic, as are Australian
soils
generally. Christmas bush will tolerate clay but is originally from poor,
sandy, rocky soils, so it doesn't need a lot of feeding. The other
possibility is that they are getting too much water, I suppose -- they
don't
like wet feet.

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

http://chookiesbackyard.blogspot.com/