MALAGA GARDENERS: tree surgery

martes, 14 de octubre de 2008

tree surgery

Here you can see the use of harness and ropes to reduce the height of this 35 metre eucalypt. The branches are lowered with ropes to protect telephone lines and buildings. This tree has returned to display a thick green foliage.

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Red Palm Weevil

RED PALM WEEVIL

Source: Folleto "Curculiónodo Ferruginoso o Picudo Rojo de las Palmeras", edited by la Conselleria d´Agricultura, Pesca i Alimentació de la Generalitat Valenciana.

Picudo Rojo or the Red Palm Weevil has been present in Spain since 1995, when it was detected in the East of Andalucía in the provinces of Granada y Málaga. It is most likely that the insect arrived in Spain via infected plants imported from the near east, middle east and North Africa and has since become a serious threat to the huge number of palm trees so commonly seen throughout Spain.

A Quick Biology.

The adult bug can reach up to 2 to 5 cm. The eggs are as small as 1mm in length and are usually layed in the soft material at the crown of the palm. Although the adult may lay up to 400 eggs at a time only a fraction of these will reach adulthood.
What are particularly damaging to the palm are the larva that develop inside the palm, eating the soft white flesh of the crown before constructing a cocoon of 4 to 6cm in length. The whole process from egg to adult lasts up to 4 months and the adult will usually stay in the same palm, laying new eggs, until the palm is practically destroyed.

Signs and symptoms.

In Spain the species of palms usually affected are those from the Canary Islands or "palmera canaria" and the date palms or palmera datilera.

The most common sign that a palm is infested is the deterioration of leaves growing from the crown. Leaves may turn brown, show defects or hang lower than normal. Often there can be seen a separation between the lower and upper leaves instead of an even fan-like distribution. If the central leaves are affected, these new shoots may lean to one side instead of growing directly upwards. Affected leaves can often be pulled off the tree by hand. At the base of the leaf it may be possible to observe the holes left by the larva, or cocoons that have the appearance of small egg shaped balls of brown palm fibre. As the infestation progresses the entire crown of the palm may dry and fall flat leading to the death of the palm.

Prevention and treatment

Traps that contain chemicals called feromones, attract and capture flying adult insects before they can colonise near-by palms. These traps can be useful for owners who are not sure if the red palm weevil has arrived in their region and can serve as an early warning device.

The flying adults are partly attracted by the smell of the freshly cut leaves after palm tree cleaning. It is advisable therefore to clean palms during winter and autumn months when the insect is less active and treat cut areas with a specific product.

Clean the crown of the palms periodically, preferably every year, to prevent decaying of the leaves.

Avoid unnecessary damage or cuts to the palm.

Palms that are already affected with diseases that cause rotting of the leaves are more disposed to infestation by the red palm weevil. The initial disease should therefore be treated with the appropriate fungicide and the tree further treated with a specific insecticide for the prevention of the red palm weevil.

MALAGA GARDENERS

martes, 14 de octubre de 2008

tree surgery

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Red Palm Weevil