About six months ago, an established conifer in my back garden (which
was already fully grown when I moved in about 10 years ago) started to
go brown. Its dead now.

A 5 year old eucalyptus which I planted in my front garden started
dying about 3 months ago. Leaves just started shrivelling up like it
had been poisoned and then the whole thing just died.

Another eucalyptus a couple of metres away from it which I'd planted at
the same time was next, it died a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know if this is in any way related, but I've got a bauxite
pebble driveway and on the weekend as I was dragging away the
chainsawed carcass of my conifer, my foot broke through the crust and
sank about half way to my knee. When I stamped around the hole, the
surrounds fell in too, now I have a big circular hole in my driveway
about 50cm wide and 30cm deep.

Having a sinkhole form in my driveway (there is no sinkwell under that
spot, before you ask) makes me wonder if water tables might be falling
in my suburb (Thornlie), but if it was something as wide as that I
might expect to see trees dying all over the place. They're not, its
just my trees.

There was an article in the local paper about dieback in the area, but
while this could be an explanation for my eucalypts dying I don't think
that affects conifers does it? (Maybe the conifer could be a
coincidence, it had just died of old age).

I have perfectly healthy (so far) citrus and stone fruit, my palms are
doing ok and my native garden out the front has plenty of other things
including advanced Hakeas, Melaleucas, Acacias and an Allocasurina
which aren't dying.

The two eucalypts side by side suddenly dying within a couple of months
ago does strongly imply to me that there is more than coincidence here.

Any thoughts?

Travis

Hi Travis

the conifer sounds like the canker that has been going through Perth,
slowly, surely and indiscriminately for many years. The gum trees could be
dieback or just 'their time', but do check them out for white ants. I am in
Ferndale, and can concur that the water tables are seemingly dropping,
though I have yet to actually lose any trees.

Good luck with replacements.

Lady Gardener

"Travis" <travismorien [at] yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1148530844.558255.100740 [at] y43g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
About six months ago, an established conifer in my back garden (which
was already fully grown when I moved in about 10 years ago) started to
go brown. Its dead now.

A 5 year old eucalyptus which I planted in my front garden started
dying about 3 months ago. Leaves just started shrivelling up like it
had been poisoned and then the whole thing just died.

Another eucalyptus a couple of metres away from it which I'd planted at
the same time was next, it died a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know if this is in any way related, but I've got a bauxite
pebble driveway and on the weekend as I was dragging away the
chainsawed carcass of my conifer, my foot broke through the crust and
sank about half way to my knee. When I stamped around the hole, the
surrounds fell in too, now I have a big circular hole in my driveway
about 50cm wide and 30cm deep.

Having a sinkhole form in my driveway (there is no sinkwell under that
spot, before you ask) makes me wonder if water tables might be falling
in my suburb (Thornlie), but if it was something as wide as that I
might expect to see trees dying all over the place. They're not, its
just my trees.

There was an article in the local paper about dieback in the area, but
while this could be an explanation for my eucalypts dying I don't think
that affects conifers does it? (Maybe the conifer could be a
coincidence, it had just died of old age).

I have perfectly healthy (so far) citrus and stone fruit, my palms are
doing ok and my native garden out the front has plenty of other things
including advanced Hakeas, Melaleucas, Acacias and an Allocasurina
which aren't dying.

The two eucalypts side by side suddenly dying within a couple of months
ago does strongly imply to me that there is more than coincidence here.

Any thoughts?

Travis

The Lady Gardener wrote:
> Hi Travis
>
> the conifer sounds like the canker that has been going through Perth,
> slowly, surely and indiscriminately for many years. The gum trees could be
> dieback or just 'their time', but do check them out for white ants. I am in
> Ferndale, and can concur that the water tables are seemingly dropping,
> though I have yet to actually lose any trees.

Do termites attack eucalypt roots?

I know termites are there, I've got thick woodchip mulch in my front
yard and termites are all through it. When I pick up a piece of wood,
its often got live termites wriggling around in it.

But when I was chainsawing the eucalypts (and the conifer) I saw no
evidence of any termite damage. The crosssection of the stump appears
fine.

I looked quite carefully at my cuts, hoping to find evidence of
something boring around in them, I saw nothing.

But if the termites are only attacking the roots, that would explain
it.

And maybe the termite nest is under the driveway....

Travis

"Travis" <travismorien [at] yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1148549825.043824.109190 [at] u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com...
>
> The Lady Gardener wrote:
> > Hi Travis
> >
> > the conifer sounds like the canker that has been going through Perth,
> > slowly, surely and indiscriminately for many years. The gum trees
could be
> > dieback or just 'their time', but do check them out for white ants. I
am in
> > Ferndale, and can concur that the water tables are seemingly dropping,
> > though I have yet to actually lose any trees.
>
> Do termites attack eucalypt roots?
>
> I know termites are there, I've got thick woodchip mulch in my front
> yard and termites are all through it. When I pick up a piece of wood,
> its often got live termites wriggling around in it.
>
> But when I was chainsawing the eucalypts (and the conifer) I saw no
> evidence of any termite damage. The crosssection of the stump appears
> fine.
>
> I looked quite carefully at my cuts, hoping to find evidence of
> something boring around in them, I saw nothing.
>
> But if the termites are only attacking the roots, that would explain
> it.
>
> And maybe the termite nest is under the driveway....
>
> Travis
>

Sounds like the pine did go to canker. I hear now there is a fungicide used
to cure it. As for the gum trees I strongly suspect that it was an abundence
of urea taken up by the roots. This is probably as a result of 50 funds
managers peeing on the trees after dobbing them in over trailing
commissions. It also probably accounts for the citrus trees doing well. Then
again I could be wrong which wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

General rule is to replant whatever carks and eventually something will
work.

I now wonder how many willows the Lady Gardener has planted in Ferndale to
reduce the water table. Only kidding Joanne!

Enjoy

Richard

You should have a pest control expert examine your yard , especially if you
have timber in your home, termites can munch through untreated timber in no
time.

----------------------------------------------------

Robin at Crystal Brook.
Online Sales: http://www.mrstationmaster.biz/myfunds.html

In article <1148549825.043824.109190 [at] u72g2000cwu.googlegroups.com>,
"Travis" <travismorien [at] yahoo.com> wrote:

> Do termites attack eucalypt roots?

Probably depends on type. The ones that eat houses like dead wood, such as
woodchip mulch and the aforementioned house timbers.

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

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

loosecanon wrote:

> Sounds like the pine did go to canker. I hear now there is a fungicide used
> to cure it. As for the gum trees I strongly suspect that it was an abundence
> of urea taken up by the roots. This is probably as a result of 50 funds
> managers peeing on the trees after dobbing them in over trailing
> commissions. It also probably accounts for the citrus trees doing well. Then
> again I could be wrong which wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

:-)

> General rule is to replant whatever carks and eventually something will
> work.

The eucalypts and the conifer seem to be the only affected plants. the
rest of the garden is doing very well. Abundant citrus, fruits forming
on my guavas for the first time this year, if I had bothered to spray
for fruit fly I'd have had all the stonefruit and pears I could eat,
the natives out the front (with the exception of the two dead
eucalypts) are thriving on neglect, like they're supposed to.

Travis

Not a one! However I am guilty of some other gardening sins which require
constant hacking down, but not a willow does remain (and there was only one,
planted strategically to stop the oddball over the road from having an
uninterrupted view into my front door)

j


"loosecanon" opined..............

I now wonder how many willows the Lady Gardener has planted in Ferndale to
reduce the water table. Only kidding Joanne!

Enjoy

Richard

G'day Travis

I'd get a pest controller to check out the termites, as one variety
nests under large flat rocks......your driveway is the perfect 'flat
rock' specially when they are active in the woodchip mulch. There are
many, many varieties of termites so someone with knowledge if which ones
are in your area would be the best person to check it for you.

I wouldn't have woodchip mulch because of termites, but that comes from
being in that industry for too many years and seeing the damage they can
do to houses.......even a steel framed house sitting on a concrete slab
is not off their menu, believe me I've seen that one with my own eyes,
they ate the paper layer on the gyprock lining the walls and ceilings,
then bridged across and attacked antique furniture. They had also
eaten the insulation of all electric cables.....not a pretty picture at
all!! Only wish I had a camera with me at the time, felt so sorry for
the owner as it the house had to be almost completely rebuilt and of
course, there were areas in the house that weren't visible so who knows
what was happening there?

Good luck.....post back with the findings, I would be interested to read
the results.

Bronwyn ;-)

Travis wrote:

> The Lady Gardener wrote:
>
>>Hi Travis
>>
>>the conifer sounds like the canker that has been going through Perth,
>>slowly, surely and indiscriminately for many years. The gum trees could be
>>dieback or just 'their time', but do check them out for white ants. I am in
>>Ferndale, and can concur that the water tables are seemingly dropping,
>>though I have yet to actually lose any trees.
>
>
> Do termites attack eucalypt roots?
>
> I know termites are there, I've got thick woodchip mulch in my front
> yard and termites are all through it. When I pick up a piece of wood,
> its often got live termites wriggling around in it.
>
> But when I was chainsawing the eucalypts (and the conifer) I saw no
> evidence of any termite damage. The crosssection of the stump appears
> fine.
>
> I looked quite carefully at my cuts, hoping to find evidence of
> something boring around in them, I saw nothing.
>
> But if the termites are only attacking the roots, that would explain
> it.
>
> And maybe the termite nest is under the driveway....
>
> Travis
>

"HC" <IHateSpam [at] home.com> wrote in message
news:44768976 [at] dnews.tpgi.com.au...
> G'day Travis
>
> I'd get a pest controller to check out the termites, as one variety
> nests under large flat rocks......your driveway is the perfect 'flat
> rock' specially when they are active in the woodchip mulch. There are
> many, many varieties of termites so someone with knowledge if which ones
> are in your area would be the best person to check it for you.
>
> I wouldn't have woodchip mulch because of termites, but that comes from
> being in that industry for too many years and seeing the damage they can
> do to houses.......even a steel framed house sitting on a concrete slab
> is not off their menu, believe me I've seen that one with my own eyes,
> they ate the paper layer on the gyprock lining the walls and ceilings,
> then bridged across and attacked antique furniture. They had also
> eaten the insulation of all electric cables.....not a pretty picture at
> all!! Only wish I had a camera with me at the time, felt so sorry for
> the owner as it the house had to be almost completely rebuilt and of
> course, there were areas in the house that weren't visible so who knows
> what was happening there?
>
> Good luck.....post back with the findings, I would be interested to read
> the results.
>
> Bronwyn ;-)
>
> Travis wrote:
>
> > The Lady Gardener wrote:
> >
> >>Hi Travis
> >>
> >>the conifer sounds like the canker that has been going through Perth,
> >>slowly, surely and indiscriminately for many years. The gum trees
could be
> >>dieback or just 'their time', but do check them out for white ants. I
am in
> >>Ferndale, and can concur that the water tables are seemingly dropping,
> >>though I have yet to actually lose any trees.
> >
> >
> > Do termites attack eucalypt roots?
> >
> > I know termites are there, I've got thick woodchip mulch in my front
> > yard and termites are all through it. When I pick up a piece of wood,
> > its often got live termites wriggling around in it.
> >
> > But when I was chainsawing the eucalypts (and the conifer) I saw no
> > evidence of any termite damage. The crosssection of the stump appears
> > fine.
> >
> > I looked quite carefully at my cuts, hoping to find evidence of
> > something boring around in them, I saw nothing.
> >
> > But if the termites are only attacking the roots, that would explain
> > it.
> >
> > And maybe the termite nest is under the driveway....
> >
> > Travis
> >

I'd surely have someone checking out the termites when every second wooden
power pole in Western Australia has white ants in them. Shame Western Power
only earmarks a few as treated. If you don't believe me go around and look
at power poles. Those that have been treated have a yellow metal tag
attached saying they have been treated. The rest either have metal spikes on
the side acting as support to the damage already done or are on the lean.

I also think that some termites are happy to be in ground and would never
venture into the rafters of your house. But then again that variety of
termite is out there.

Those with untreated pine roof rafters beware.

Cheers

Richard