Tina2 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 We are now well into spring. Then a strange thing started to happen. We have 4 mature beautiful Fiddlewood Trees in the back garden that give us shade and privacy, but we noticed some of the leaves turning yellow. Its dry here so we assumed lack of water, so we started to give extra water, but the yellowing quickly turned to leaves falling just like Autum. Then the bare branches started to die. We called a Tree Doctor on Friday and he told us back in about 1996 a beetle was released to kill off lantarna, the fiddlewood tree is a member of the lantana family ! Sadly those involved in the release of this beetle didnt think to test if it would attack fiddlewood trees. The tree doctor told us that to start there was only a couple of trees on the list that might be effected by this beetle, but now that list is growing ever longer. There is now concern for Jacarandah, hibiscus, the Geisher Girl Tree to name a few. This beetle hates heat so if you are in a hot area you should be OK. Treatment is Confidor, both pouring 1 to 100 liquid around the base of the tree, and spraying the leaves. You need to act as soon as you see leaves turning yellow, as this beetle will kill the tree. We have lots of dead branches but are fighting to save what green branches we have left. It is also known as "over wintering" Just thought this might help someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Very interesting re the beetle. In the 70s in northern NSW, some species of eucalypts in the old growth forests, notably The Gibraltar Range National Park area, were being killed off by a type of beetle eating and infecting the root systems. I had a 5 acre property and all the redgums were killed off. It was just called 'die-back' until some boffin decided it was a type of christmas beetle. Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted October 11, 2015 Author Share Posted October 11, 2015 Very interesting re the beetle. In the 70s in northern NSW, some species of eucalypts in the old growth forests, notably The Gibraltar Range National Park area, were being killed off by a type of beetle eating and infecting the root systems. I had a 5 acre property and all the redgums were killed off. It was just called 'die-back' until some boffin decided it was a type of christmas beetle. Cheers, Bobj. The tree doc asked for photos before he came out and at first thought it was a "root bora" beetle ! We are not only spraying but pouring confidor around the roots in a bid to save the trees. So annoyed as where we live we have awful soil and to get anything to grow is so hard and takes years and if we loose these trees it will wipe out all the big trees which give shade to the garden and house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 "So annoyed as where we live we have awful soil and to get anything to grow is so hard and takes years" Get a few samples from the block of land and get them analysed at QUT, the Toowoomba branch...That way, you can put in the missing nutrients and save any 'trial and error' mistakes. Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 "So annoyed as where we live we have awful soil and to get anything to grow is so hard and takes years" Get a few samples from the block of land and get them analysed at QUT, the Toowoomba branch...That way, you can put in the missing nutrients and save any 'trial and error' mistakes. Cheers, Bobj. Hi Bob OK thanks for that didnt know QUT would do that. I checked the PH levels and it is pretty much Just edging towards acidic around 6.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Hi BobOK thanks for that didnt know QUT would do that. I checked the PH levels and it is pretty much Just edging towards acidic around 6.5 Grow azaleas and rhododendrons! Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted October 12, 2015 Author Share Posted October 12, 2015 Grow azaleas and rhododendrons! Cheers, Bobj. Dont do well here bob have tried. 7 km up the road the soil changes to brown and they have wonderful displays of Azaleas and Rhododendrons. I have a lilac tree that is "alive" very suprised by that. It is very much trial and error here. Even bottle brush trees struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 A bit of an update. Despite spraying with confidor the fiddle wood and Geisher Girl Trees continue to loose leaves and have branches die. Now the people next door are concerned about there Liquid Amber trees. Both mature trees, and on the other side of the boundry fence to our fiddlewood trees. Now all there leaves are turning yellow and starting to fall with branches rapidly dying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobj Posted October 13, 2015 Share Posted October 13, 2015 That really is something to address for the locals. Sad to see beautiful trees dying for no apparent reason. Cheers, Bobj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tina2 Posted October 13, 2015 Author Share Posted October 13, 2015 we know the reason Bob - Lantana Beetle. How you stop it is the problem and how many other trees is it now going to attack. They say spray every 2 weeks for 6 weeks but we are going to spray every week in the hope of saving them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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