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Re: LONG Earth Day

Gay Klok wrote:
> Both gardens:  We must not kill the fauna.  In Tasmania, the possums
> have increased to mammoth proportions.   Most New Zealand gardeners hold > a very big grudge against Australians because someone decided to import > the cuddly possum into those beautiful islands.     Possums eat EVERYTHING in the gardens with > roses being their ice cream.   We relocate the few we catch in the > benign trap but, unless we go to the other end of the Island, being > terratorial they are back in one or two days.

Gay
 One thing which seems to have worked with possums in NZ gardens, even
with roses, is the use of antifeedants. These are things which make the
plant taste nasty and so put the possum off his dinner.

A few years ago we had a family of possums intent on killing  one large
and handsome cherry tree in our back garden. In two years we disposed of
nearly thirty using a Timms trap (like a huge rat-trap and legal here
where the possum is definitely vermin), but unfortunately there were
always a few survivors to carry on the tradition and still they came. In
desperation the following spring we sprayed the tree with some quassia
bark extract, which is apparently very bitter, and after a short
sampling session they never came back either that year or since!!

I haven't had them at my roses, but in the NZ Gardener I have seen a
claim that spraying with a fish preparation such as Alaska has a similar
effect, so you might like to try it.

Our autumn and its colours is in full swing. The most beautiful tree in
our area is undoubtedly a Tulip Tree which turns the richest gold and
holds it lovely leaves for some considerable time.

Greetings from across the Tasman

Moira



Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Both Retired. Careers were: Moira - botanist/horticulturist; 
Tony - Various jobs, then computer programmer.
Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
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