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Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 8:25 pm
by Keep Calm and Ramify
A few pics of my ligustrum almost bursting into flower. It gets leggy, but I think the show is worth it.
The trunk is completely hollow.

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 9:31 pm
by kcpoole
Wow Nice tree and Nice display :yes:

I like pic #12 the best

Ken

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 15th, 2017, 11:15 pm
by eyedia
It is amazing...nice tree. Got 2 privets but flowers are not significant like this...

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 16th, 2017, 6:29 am
by Watto
Lovely display. I too normally let my privets flower but I must say the perfume is not the best.
I agree with Ken, No. 12 is a good perspective.

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 16th, 2017, 8:21 am
by melbrackstone
What a beautiful tree! (I had no idea it flowered!)

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 16th, 2017, 6:06 pm
by shibui
Nice flower display but as Watto diplomatically pointed out, these do stink and are implicated in asthma and hay fever in many areas.

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 16th, 2017, 8:10 pm
by Boics
Nice tree.

I never even knew Privet flowered?
Are these also particularly small leaves or have I got my species wrong?

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 22nd, 2018, 10:49 am
by Keep Calm and Ramify
So this thread should probably now be re-titled to “Goodbye there common privet”.
After container growing this tree for approx. 15 years, I have given up the fight against the continuous attacks of mother nature’s little chewing critters.
It’s become a one stop - all you can eat smorgasbord. Wood borers, ants & continual efforts in trying to preserve deadwood has taken its toll on both of us.
I now have bright orange fungus spreading on the trunk, that I’m sure will expedite decomposing and final demise.
It’s time to say goodbye…..such is life.
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Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 22nd, 2018, 11:33 am
by melbrackstone
Sometimes when they flower profusely that's cos they know they're on the way out...a last ditch effort to preserve some offspring, at least. RIP your tree.

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 22nd, 2018, 8:56 pm
by boom64
Hi K.C.R. Bad luck about your Privet ,always sad to see one go. I am now a little concerned as I spotted some orange fungus on a tree I have .Any ideas about what it is exactly. Cheers John.

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 23rd, 2018, 7:25 am
by Pearcy001
Hi KC&R,

I've had this fungi on my benches. It occurred underneath pots that have stayed too wet without enough airflow from my experience. Looking at the photo water/moisture could be pooling in the trunk where the grooves are deeper.

What is your watering like? If the tree is under a automatic watering system you could try moving it to keep the trunk dry, and turning the tree so the fungi is facing the sun to dry it out while treating it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I've only had it on my benches not my trees, so can't give you first hand experience on how to deal with it in your situation. Goodluck mate.

Cheers,
Pearcy.

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 23rd, 2018, 9:29 am
by tgward
would the occasional application of lime sulphur have prevented this?

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 23rd, 2018, 2:13 pm
by terryb
This is the kind of fungus you commonly see on dead trees which help to break down the wood (saprophytes). I have seen this on garden trees (peach, cherry), which are in decline so I suspect that your fungus is just taking advantage of the damage caused by the borers and other possible pathogens and is not the primary cause of the tree's decline. As Pearcy pointed out - wet, dead, wood promotes this kind of fungus but I would have thought that wood preservers should help. How hard is privet wood?

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: July 23rd, 2018, 6:24 pm
by Keep Calm and Ramify
Pearcy001 wrote:Hi KC&R,

I've had this fungi on my benches. It occurred underneath pots that have stayed too wet without enough airflow from my experience. Looking at the photo water/moisture could be pooling in the trunk where the grooves are deeper.
Hey Percy thanks for your reply - yes you are right, this plant has stayed wet pretty constantly - i've been bad :palm: at providing decent airflow I know! Interesting enough the areas that the orange fungus are growing in are not deep grooves or hollows, they are actually holes going completely through the trunk. These holes are now being filled in by the fungus.
boom64 wrote:Hi K.C.R. Bad luck about your Privet ,always sad to see one go. I am now a little concerned as I spotted some orange fungus on a tree I have .Any ideas about what it is exactly. Cheers John.
Hi John - no idea what it is exactly - so it's botanical name is not "Brightis Orangey Fungus"? :lol:
tgward wrote:would the occasional application of lime sulphur have prevented this?
Hi Tgward hows things? Yes this tree was initially hollowed out by me years ago when I used to paint lime sulphur twice yearly on it (darkened with ink) It has had multiple applications, but I always had some losses. The last two years it was painted with wood hardener - but the chewing critters still get in. :palm:
terryb wrote:This is the kind of fungus you commonly see on dead trees which help to break down the wood (saprophytes). I have seen this on garden trees (peach, cherry), which are in decline so I suspect that your fungus is just taking advantage of the damage caused by the borers and other possible pathogens and is not the primary cause of the tree's decline. As Pearcy pointed out - wet, dead, wood promotes this kind of fungus but I would have thought that wood preservers should help. How hard is privet wood?
Hi Terryb - thanks for the reply - I knew when the fungus started it was time to call it a day. Privet wood is soft and I now think more consideration will be made when initially choosing soft wood species, versus overall longevity. I have read on this site [KC Poole?] that really old wisterias are prone to decay as well.

@MelB - thanks for your comment also - if this tree survives, I'm gonna have a strong contender for the "Most Ugliest Bonsai Competition 2019." :D

Re: Hello there Common Privet!!

Posted: October 20th, 2018, 10:38 pm
by Keep Calm and Ramify
wait...what?...3 months later & you're still (barely) alive?
Well this is awkward. :shock:
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