Leaf testing for poisoning

[Nell]

A tree specialist has looked at 3 trees in my garden and come to the conclusion that the near death of them ( their leaves suddenly discolured and dropped May/June last year ) is due to malicious damage.

There is one hawthorn and two large sycamores. The sycamores were in the garden when we bought the house about 30 years ago and so were large ,well established trees. Last year they came into leaf in the spring and looked normal until the sudden loss of leaves.

I was told last year ( by a different person )  that it was probably due to environmental issues and it was suggested that I needed to water the trees - 2 other sycamores in the same line were unaffected however.

I hoped that this year the trees may have recovered but apart from small clumps of foliage emerging from the trunks the branches are bare and looking brittle 

The neighbours whose gardens adjoin the line of trees have tried to get me to remove the trees since they moved in but I pointed out to them that the trees were very obvious when they bought the property and if the trees were causing issues their survey would have highlighted this

Anyway, I have been told I could have the foliage tested for signs of poison but this is costly and as the damage was inflicted last year I wondered if the poison would still be evident.

I have a tree surgeon coming next week to take off the dead wood and I need to decide if I want him to harvest some of the foliage to send for testing.

Does anyone know of other places other than Bartletts lab that offer this service so I could get a price comparison?

[Stubby]

8 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

This is the Ozzy way I believe - people who illegally fell trees to gain a view around Sydney harbour are punished by the local authority erecting massive billboards blocking said view and proclaiming the dirty deed. Fantastic!

Yep Seen that .

[dumper]

You need to get the samples tested by liquid chromatograpy in a accredited lab this will show exactly the chemicals used 

[Mark Bolam]

36 minutes ago, monkeybusiness said:

This is the Ozzy way I believe - people who illegally fell trees to gain a view around Sydney harbour are punished by the local authority erecting massive billboards blocking said view and proclaiming the dirty deed. Fantastic!

 

Exactly that Dan, it’s not my original idea, saw it in Noosa in Queensland years ago.

That one said ‘THESE TREES WERE POISONED TO GET A SEA VIEW.

IT DIDN’T WORK’.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

4 hours ago, Nell said:

A tree specialist has looked at 3 trees in my garden and come to the conclusion that the near death of them ( their leaves suddenly discolured and dropped May/June last year ) is due to malicious damage.

There is one hawthorn and two large sycamores. The sycamores were in the garden when we bought the house about 30 years ago and so were large ,well established trees. Last year they came into leaf in the spring and looked normal until the sudden loss of leaves.

I was told last year ( by a different person )  that it was probably due to environmental issues and it was suggested that I needed to water the trees - 2 other sycamores in the same line were unaffected however.

I hoped that this year the trees may have recovered but apart from small clumps of foliage emerging from the trunks the branches are bare and looking brittle 

The neighbours whose gardens adjoin the line of trees have tried to get me to remove the trees since they moved in but I pointed out to them that the trees were very obvious when they bought the property and if the trees were causing issues their survey would have highlighted this

Anyway, I have been told I could have the foliage tested for signs of poison but this is costly and as the damage was inflicted last year I wondered if the poison would still be evident.

I have a tree surgeon coming next week to take off the dead wood and I need to decide if I want him to harvest some of the foliage to send for testing.

Does anyone know of other places other than Bartletts lab that offer this service so I could get a price comparison?

Try Forestry Commission forest research - not sure where you are but they will possibly give you an indicative price for comparison. 
 

What do you plan to do with whatever data any such test might provide?  I mean, even if it does confirm cause of dieback, what can you actually DO with that knowledge.  It’s not as if you’ll have enough, with that data alone, to take any form of litigation. 
 

 

 

 

[Nell]

Thanks for replying. If the tests conclusively say the trees have been poisned then I will probably confront said neighbours and ask them if they have seen anyone lurking near the fence beside the trees. As their garden has a security locked entrance then they will obviously not be able to explain how someone else has managed to get to the trees. I'm also tempted to go down the route of sticking a large banner on the trees as previously suggested.

[trigger_andy]

5 hours ago, Nell said:

Thanks for replying. If the tests conclusively say the trees have been poisned then I will probably confront said neighbours and ask them if they have seen anyone lurking near the fence beside the trees. As their garden has a security locked entrance then they will obviously not be able to explain how someone else has managed to get to the trees. I'm also tempted to go down the route of sticking a large banner on the trees as previously suggested.

I’d be getting security cameras up as well. 

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

7 hours ago, Nell said:

Thanks for replying. If the tests conclusively say the trees have been poisned then I will probably confront said neighbours and ask them if they have seen anyone lurking near the fence beside the trees. As their garden has a security locked entrance then they will obviously not be able to explain how someone else has managed to get to the trees. I'm also tempted to go down the route of sticking a large banner on the trees as previously suggested.

Of course the majority here would ‘probably’ share your (presumed) outrage and ‘probably’ share the belief that it wuz the neighbour wot done it, but the potential consequence of a confrontation or even a banner could be the opening of a neighbour dispute which could end up being ‘declarable’ (in the event of house sale - which could reduce sale price) or just be the beginning of a potentially long running unpleasant episode with the neighbour if you stay put. 
 

Yes, of course deeply frustrating and a trespass / insult but such circumstances often warrant a tactical pause and the careful consideration of implications and or alternative courses of action. 

[Dan Maynard]

There were two sycamores on the village green opposite me, couple of years ago one of them suddenly decided to die. I couldn't see any particular reason to point to, it's on the edge of the brook so presumably not drought and the other one is still doing fine.

 

I guess if you do the test and it's positive then at least you would know. Surely the glyphosate would have broken down by now though?

 

Maybe just plant half a dozen eucalyptus instead.

[Stubby]

Just before it rains chuck a load of Italian Rye grass seeds over his lawn .  He will be mowing it every other day ! 🙂

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

Just before it rains chuck a load of Italian Rye grass seeds over his lawn .  He will be mowing it every other day ! 🙂

Many ways to skin a cat ‘eh Mr S 😂

 

My first reaction would normally be to stove his head in with a shovel and bury him in a shallow lime pit or toss him down a mine shaft  but I think I’m becoming more moderate as the years pass.....