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Heather Evans's avatar

From another subscriber: This is an interesting one. Turns out that tree of heaven is NOT a tree to cut and leave. It should be treated with herbicide because it will generate another tree when cut down, Sorcerer’s Apprentice style. And the optimum time on Ailanthus for the cut and treat up here at least is said to be end of July — probably to catch it at a moment when the tree has spent energy on new growth and has not yet translocated the benefits of that growth into root storage. Sadder but wiser. If I can find the info in an article will send. Some native tree volunteers that it’s clear will be too big for yard can be coppiced every few years — cut at the base — and deliberately allowed to regrow (some will grow into more of a bush with multiple sprouts arising), and will provide benefit at this shorter size.

Stephanie Johnson is a Virginia landscape designer that removes from client yards excess native seedlings that are too big to handle them and offers them as free giveaways — a very cool way to get trees adapted locally into more yards.

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Virens Studio's avatar

Love this! Snags, stumps and standing deadwood can all add beautiful, sculptural elements in the garden and are a much needed habitat resource. And there’s no reason that they can’t be arranged in an artful way, that connects with the feeling of the space. Just have a look at Nigel Dunnett’s (@nigel.dunnett on instagram) undulating woodpiles that divide his home garden in great waves. Beautiful

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Heather Evans's avatar

Thank you, Sara-Jane! I’ll check out Dunnett’s woodpiles:)

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Heather Evans's avatar

Ooh, they are fabulous. Here’s the link for other readers: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq2OIYiqa8j/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

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thegreenman's avatar

Leaving palm stumps down here in Florida spreads and promulgates the palm killing fungus Ganoderma zonatum. It is soil borne and spreads as a facultative saprophyte.

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Heather Evans's avatar

Wow! I was unaware of that disease -- which I see is called "butt rot." I see that not only should you remove the stump and root system ASAP, but also not plant another palm in the affected location. Thank you for letting us all know.

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thegreenman's avatar

Sure thing, G. zonatum pretty specific to palms, but unfortunately there are other species of Ganoderma that affect

Hardwoods such as Oak trees in Florida as well.

Worth looking into https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/2018/12/03/a-fungus-among-us/

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