Crabapple and the Possum Mafia

[john tapner]

Early last December the Mafia descended on my crabapples and chewed most of the leaves off. Left the apples though. So what to do? I completely defoliated the tree, but kept some of the apples, and placed it in a different part of the garden that the Mafia haven't discovered (yet!). The tree sprang back to life with smaller leaves at this stage and plenty of blooms again. I might get another crop of apples, but time will tell. Two seasons in one. What type of crabapple I hear you ask? A Malus floribunda that I purchased from Uncle Ray about ten years ago and has spent most of its life in a mica pot. One day I might place it in a proper bonsai pot.............

John T

[Jamie]

its odd that they left the fruit pal. generally they would be fruit lovers? are the apples a bit sour or tart? are you sure it is possums? to me it just doesnt sound right that they have eaten the leaves well at least ya dont have to defoliate


jamie

[john tapner]

Definitely possums, I know them all by name, and they leave their calling cards on the ground. We live on the edge on Lane Cove National Park and the place has possums, bandicoots, echidnas, wallabies, rabbits, Eastern water dragons etc. The one that ate the leaves was Frank!!!

John T

[Jamie]

righto mate sounds like you got them named like a quentin tarantino movie is mr. pink and mr. blue in there aswell ???

i think there is a natural product that you can put around your trees that dter them from coming near the trees. i think its some sort of pheromone but i am not sure?


jamie

[Jester]

Oops!!! Hi John, sounds like you are a marked man.!! Be careful, they might have YOU whacked as well!! First they come as your friends, and then they tell you are going to be "made" into the family, and the next thing you know, you are buried 6 feet under in possum poo!!. I have to say, Lance Cove is about the worst place in the world you can be for possum attacks. I am on the border of Centennial Park and guess which trees they hit first??? Yep, the bloody Floribundas!!!. I have friends in Lane Cove and the reason they won't let me borrow THEIR trap is because it is always being used!!!

John, all I can say is, don't spend too much time contemplating over your navel as to which possum solution is the best.(Creams , lotions, powders, Celine Dione Music, Michael Bolton Music) By the time you figure it out, you won't HAVE any bonsai left!!! Go and BUY yourself (not borrow) BUY yourself 2 or more possum traps. Let me know if you want info on how to rig them properly. When you catch them, re-locate them far far away. That's how to treat possums who belong to a crime family. If they bring a baseball bat to a fight, you bring a samurai sword. If they bring a samurai sort, you bring a pistol!!! Simple as that. Possums are not partial to diplomacy and they are not your friends.

[john tapner]

Right Jester, How about Roy Orbison? I think my age is showing as the spell check just queried the name!! We had a possum come down the chimney last year and WIRES came and caught the beast and took it away. Guess where they released it? They came back in the dead of night and shoved it back up the big gum tree in the front garden. "Why there?" I cried in desperation. "Because that is their home" said the nice WIRES lady. I think it was Frank.

Seriously though folks I have had very little possum trouble over the years as they seem to like my vegetable garden more than my bonsai. Tomatoes, forget them. Cucumbers, forget them too. Silverbeet are OK and winter vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and potatoes are fine. Nice bed of daylilies add some colour and are left alone, so I just experiment to see what Frank likes,

Time for my afternoon nap now, my brain is starting to hurt..........

John T

[Webos]

By law, I think they can only re-locate possums within a very short distance from where they were trapped. Apparently they are very territorial and if you drop them off in the middle of nowhere, there will be a turf war and they will be "whacked" by another family who run that area. He will definitely not be seen as a "friend of mine" or a "friend of ours". It will be concrete boots for Frankie the Possum. I have a family at my house...they love my apricot and nectarine trees. Havent eaten one yet myself, but they havent touched my Bonsai stock yet due to Willy the dog who rules terrestrially.

[Deemon]

I have a possum box above my shed, so if the mafia descend on any of my trees, i'll blow them up

They feed on the pin oak they live under, so hopefully i'll be right.

[Deemon]

My biggest problem is a bird eating my Chilli's!
We moved to the Blue Mountains 3 months ago. I thought of all things the Chilli's would be safe...

[Jester]

Hey Webos, don't get me wrong, I don't TOTALLY dislike possums, I mean I admire the fact they are quite shifty.....a bit like you actually!!!