Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Ivy on Silver Birch
In message , Nick Maclaren
writes In article , Peter Robinson wrote: Ian Jackson wrote: A 60 foot ash tree (just outside the end of my back garden) was suddenly killed by ivy. One spring, it had just started to come into leaf, when I noticed they were withering. I found that the ivy which had been growing up it had got under the bark (a few feet off the ground), and lifted it - effectively ring-barking it. I have never ring barked a tree, but if I did shouldn't I expect it to sprout vigorously from the base as if coppiced? If you cut down an ash and leave the stump, it will definitely do that. This does not convince me the ivy was at fault. Not all trees will do that, but ash will. As people said, it is very unlikely indeed that the ivy killed the tree - while it can happen, it could not possibly get under ash bark (which is very 'tight') and lift it. Well, the bark WAS lifted, and the ivy WAS growing under it. Of course, it's possible that the bark had been 'mechanically' damaged - but the tree was rather inaccessible, and I can't think of anything that would have done it. There are a zillion fungal, bacterial and similar diseases that show up as lifting bark. Yes, it could have been - but I'm sure the ivy did the main killing. However, at the time, both trees were growing well. At one time, both had been at least 50' high, and then were lopped to around 30'. After that, their growth went absolutely berserk, and soon both were back to at least their original height. And then, as I said, one suddenly started wilting soon after coming into leaf. Its mate (about 25' away) continued alone (minus the ivy, on which I made a pre-emptive strike) - and it is now 65 - maybe 70 - feet high. The dead ash was cut down (I now recall it was 2003), and its stump was left around 6' high. It has shown no signs of sprouting. After a couple of years, where its roots extended into my garden, there was a considerable growth of large clumps of orange mushrooms. As I had various bushes nearby, I thought it would be wise to discourage it in future (Weedol worked well), and these days I only get the odd mushroom or two. -- Ian |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Ivy, Ivy & more ivy | United Kingdom | |||
IVY IVY IVY | United Kingdom | |||
Rot discovered in Birch tree - Bronze Birch Borer ? | Lawns | |||
Rot discovered in Birch tree - Bronze Birch Borer ? | Gardening | |||
Pollarding silver birch trees. | United Kingdom |