A little late in the day I've spotted some unusual, and localised,
plant death. I've lost a large bracken which I noticed not growing
beyond around April this year - it looks like it stalled. Around the
same time a 9 ft walnut sapling seems to have lost all its growth
and is just now starting to produce some new growth. Part of a grape
vine was growing thinly up the walnut branches and that has all
died - the rest seems normal though I need to check more closely.
And a nearby ash sapling has gone rather mutant in its limited
growth.

I did wonder if a late frost had done for the bracken, but the
then very early growth wasn't frost burnt; the area is near
to the house; and a second walnut close by is unaffected.

The malaise seems localised around the first walnut which was
just starting to make itself obvious above a 6 ft wall. It has
had a very small branch which was almost growing over the wall
cut off by the neighbour, and I suspect something rather more
drastic may have been done. Does anyone know of a likely place
to turn to, to test the plants and soil for various unfriendly
chemicals?

--
Jamie