Re: Some musings on current local tree diseases/Pinus radiata

David,

Might be of interest to you (and others) but the following is the web
address of a news report from my daily newspaper, The Independent,
concerning the interest in the plight of the Redwoods in California and the
threat from Phytopthora,

www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=113831

if this fails go to the site and search for Andrew Gumbel, a fairly
entertaining and reasoned journalist responsible for the story. Quite
interesting to see a  report of 'footbaths' being used at one place. As I
say, I'm not sure where all this is leading but I guess the increasing
rapid movement of plant material and timber imports from different regions
must have a significant bearing on the problem if a disease slips through
the net. It hadn't occured to me before but I have seen the demise of a
couple of Sequiodendron giganteum (the Sierra Redwood) in these parts - one
is but a few yards away on the site of the old Treseder Nursery here in
Truro. Another I saw felled on an estate close to a local town, the owner
told me that a local expert had considered the cause of death to be "old
age"! - it was probably 120 yrs old.

Interesting reports coming through to me from the Yahoo Rhodo group
connected to the same problem which you may like to take a look at. Seems
Rhododendrons have been placed in the frame as a possible culprit, with
their export to Canada being placed under control?..

Thanks for the inf. on the Monterey Pine, a tree that the local county
landscape dept have been keen to preserve since its become such a feature
close to coastal towns and on headlands. The rapidity of its establishment
here is quite amazing - we're currently looking at taming some we planted 15
yrs ago, they've gone from 12" to 40' in that period with a girth and spread
to match.

Found a UK Arboricultural report in some old notes concerning Oak dieback
(was looking for something else, I assure you!), seems the trees were
predisposed to attack by various pests including Honey Fugus due to a run of
droughts in the 1980's which brought about water stress. However some Oak
decline in parts of Eastern Europe inc. Romania and the former USSR may have
been caused by a vascular wilt type disease involving various fungi in the
Ophiostoma , Data relevent circa 1992. (phew, you never realise just how
much stuff you've forgotten until you dig around in a box of old college
papers).

kind regards, Mark.

Mark Brent, Lamorran House Gardens, St. Mawes, Cornwall.
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