D.e.hill

My apple tree appears to be twisting and withering in some places, lots of little black dots (aphids?) Is this normal or should I take some action? all help appreciated!

Thank you for all your advice. Top diagnosis!! I had a good look tonight and indeed found a (only one!) green caterpillar, a cocoon and a couple of dozen snails. All removed and a bloody good drenching in the Topbuxus potion. Will do it again in a few days and hopefully the plants will start to recover. A solid win from the forum, thanks again! One last question, what am I meant to do with the caterpillars and snails?!?

Hi all, I planted a row of little buxus pyramids at the front of my house a couple of years ago, but recently they seem to struggling. Are they just dehydrated or is there something more sinister at play? I’ve been watering them daily recently but I’m concerned it may be too little too late 😬 Any/all thoughts welcome!

Thank you both. Forgive my lack of technical terminology, but I note it’s got 2 trunks and only one of them is buggered. If I chop that one down can the other one flourish, or do they depend on each other? Likely a daft question, but I am an amateur…

Thanks for all your advice last year on this - just following up. As Spring is springing one side is filling out nicely while the problematic side is looking much more bare. I’m guessing my man was right about it being beyond help? I thought I might do some climbing and get rid of any dead wood. Anything else I can do to help it? I don’t fancy throwing good money after bad with any more professional work really if I can avoid it. All thoughts welcome!

I think it probably is a bit worse in life to a trained eye than I’m putting across. He suggested it was 40/50% de-foliated. He was also reluctant to recommend removing it. His background was at Westonbirt Arboretum and I think he really likes trees(!) but just thinks mine will die whatever we do and seemed not that keen to take my money now and then again next year to chop it down! Comes across as experienced and competent. He reckons a team of 2 for half a day to do all the stuff described. He’s not fully airspading it as that will wreck the garden for the kids, but an area of about 6ft radius out from the trunk. Let’s wait and see!

Ha ha, I guess we’ll find out! If anyone is interested I was quoted £500 + VAT for the work we’re doing now to try to save her. Versus removal at £750 + VAT. I’m comfortable with that as I wouldn’t have instructed removal this year anyhow if I could avoid it!

So I’ve just had the tree surgeon over. The good-ish news is that there’s no sign of infection. He thinks it’s drought damaged from a couple of years of poor rain and not helped by the ground compression for adjacent shed and garden. He recommends felling. I am reluctant to get rid of it without trying to help. So we’ve agreed he’s going to cut the dead wood out, trim the top, air spade the immediate area around the trunk, put the mulch around the base to retain water and I’ll keep watering her. He’s also going to pop some super-tree-compost around the base. No idea if it’ll work but I don’t fancy getting rid just yet.

Thank you all very much for your help, it’s appreciated. Attached are some close up photos of the trunk and branches, and any areas I could find that looked like they had sap or anything else discharging. To be honest, I couldn’t find much. There is a sort of slime around some of the trunk that looks like slugs/snails have been on it. There is some weeping of sap where I’ve screwed in some lights and a few “holes” where it looks like some branches have been removed. Our friendly tree surgeons were back next door today and kindly popped across for a look. The chap said it definitely looks in difficulty with lots of dead wood, but he couldn’t see any obvious signs of rot/decay/mould/parasite etc. that would cause it. He suggested I needed to get his boss over to have a look as it was a bit specialist - I’ve booked this for Monday afternoon. Interestingly he pointed out that one of the trunks looks fairly healthy and one is really struggling. He suggested cutting all the dead wood out in the first instance, but I’ll wait to see what the boss-tree-surgeon says on Monday. Photos showing the two sides also attached. As always, any further thoughts appreciated!

Thanks all. Very helpful, if a little depressing!! I’ve just googled PR and it’s not very optimistic reading really. We’re in Bristol. My garden is surrounded on all sides by other gardens and no other mature trees. I’ll have a look for some black discharge and report back. What’s the best plan to manage things from here? Leave her for a couple of years until it’s dead and have it felled? Get it cut back now to try and promote some new growth? Bite the bullet and get it felled (my least favourite option!)? Thanks again.

Hi, new here so thanks in advance for any help. My neighbours had a tree surgeon over today to look at some unrelated stuff in their garden, but he happened to notice our European Larch tree and comment that it should have far more growth by this time of the year and that it was probably beyond help. I don’t know the surgeon, and I’m getting this second hand so I’m hopeful someone here might be able to advise? Pictures attached. The tree is the most redeeming feature of the house so I hope it’s not dying! It is normally bushier in the summer. Anything I can do? All help gratefully received.