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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 |
#2
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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? |
#3
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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/ |
#4
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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/ |
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