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#1
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Die-back on conifers
I'm a very reluctant gardener, loving being in them but not too used
to actually working on one. But now I have no job... The house I moved into three years ago (near Stansted Airport in Essex) has a small flowerbed in the front which contains a pair of conifers. I don't know what they are, but they're not prolific growers and are about 3-4 feet high. They are now very stressed and some 30-50 percent of them is dead. I'm sure the drought is part of it, but I suspect there may be some other pathology going on. The needles that aren't dead are white. Also there are white fungal bodies underground in the bed itself. Finally there's an old stump with black fungi thereupon, but I doubt if that's related. My wife wants me to uproot the conifers, and I think she may be right. But I don't want whatever replaces them to suffer the same fate. Any sage wisdom? |
#2
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Die-back on conifers
Ken
Might I respectfully suggest you change your 'Ken' to 'kenbirch' or something? We have a terrible troll spamming across a lot of newsgroups with the same heading. He is on killfile and many newsgroups and your posting may not be opened, thinking it is from him. His real name is Chris Stevens and is a cross dressing trouble maker from Eastleigh in Hants. Put your posting up again with a different 'handle' and some of the many gardeners on this site will advise :-)) Best wishes Mike -- .................................................. ......... Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rnshipmates.co.uk www.nsrafa.com "Ken" wrote in message ... I'm a very reluctant gardener, loving being in them but not too used to actually working on one. But now I have no job... The house I moved into three years ago (near Stansted Airport in Essex) has a small flowerbed in the front which contains a pair of conifers. I don't know what they are, but they're not prolific growers and are about 3-4 feet high. They are now very stressed and some 30-50 percent of them is dead. I'm sure the drought is part of it, but I suspect there may be some other pathology going on. The needles that aren't dead are white. Also there are white fungal bodies underground in the bed itself. Finally there's an old stump with black fungi thereupon, but I doubt if that's related. My wife wants me to uproot the conifers, and I think she may be right. But I don't want whatever replaces them to suffer the same fate. Any sage wisdom? |
#3
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Quote:
The questions you need to ask in terms of replacments a size - min, max, width... soil type - acid, alkali… location - urban, rural... evergreen - yes, no maintenance – no, don’t mind… The wrong choice means long-term headaches, alternatively there are hundreds of interesting shrubs to select from. Happy hunting.
__________________
Rich http://www.realoasis.com Garden design & landscaping specialists Topiary & exotic plants hire Floral diplays |
#4
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Die-back on conifers
and as if by magic!!
See what I mean? Have a look at the newsgroups he spam's across. Mike -- .................................................. ......... Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rnshipmates.co.uk www.nsrafa.com "mike" wrote in message ... Ken Might I respectfully suggest you change your 'Ken' to 'kenbirch' or something? We have a terrible troll spamming across a lot of newsgroups with the same heading. He is on killfile and many newsgroups and your posting may not be opened, thinking it is from him. His real name is Chris Stevens and is a cross dressing trouble maker from Eastleigh in Hants. Put your posting up again with a different 'handle' and some of the many gardeners on this site will advise :-)) Best wishes Mike -- .................................................. ........ Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association www.rnshipmates.co.uk www.nsrafa.com "Ken" wrote in message ... I'm a very reluctant gardener, loving being in them but not too used to actually working on one. But now I have no job... The house I moved into three years ago (near Stansted Airport in Essex) has a small flowerbed in the front which contains a pair of conifers. I don't know what they are, but they're not prolific growers and are about 3-4 feet high. They are now very stressed and some 30-50 percent of them is dead. I'm sure the drought is part of it, but I suspect there may be some other pathology going on. The needles that aren't dead are white. Also there are white fungal bodies underground in the bed itself. Finally there's an old stump with black fungi thereupon, but I doubt if that's related. My wife wants me to uproot the conifers, and I think she may be right. But I don't want whatever replaces them to suffer the same fate. Any sage wisdom? |
#5
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Die-back on conifers
Ken wrote:
My wife wants me to uproot the conifers, and I think she may be right. But I don't want whatever replaces them to suffer the same fate. Well, when you have them out, "uprooting" is the good thing to do - don't just saw them off at ground level. Get hold of some well rotted horse muck or similar (often free from stables) and dig well in once you have disturbed the ground anyway, regardless of what you are planning to plant instead. Then wait until the early spring before replanting - let the nursery take the risk of overwintering, not you! I would certainly avoid anything similar in the same plot for at least 10 years - cut a bit off and keep it like pressed flowers to take with you in case you are tempted by another conifer. Without knowing too much about your soil I'd consider a couple of rowans, if there is room, or a pair of small japenese Acer. There are several cultivars of Acer palmatum that have been selected to be small growing. Or a couple of small apple trees - people like the Ballerina form for upright habit - having two to replace the conifers would probably resolve the polination issue as long as you choose two compatible ones. There are dwarfed upright forms of most fruit trees now. Or you could have, for a bit more work, bay or holly bushes and clip them into decorative shapes. Eventually. There is a fashion round here for putting lumps of old iron (sorry "garden sculpture") up and growing clematis or honeysuckle up them. It's vertical, but to me it still looks like rusy iron. |
#6
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Die-back on conifers
On Mon, 23 Oct 2006 07:53:54 +0100, "mike" wrote:
Put your posting up again with a different 'handle' and some of the many gardeners on this site will advise :-)) Thanks for the advice! |
#7
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Die-back on conifers
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