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Salix Problem
Lee Sainsbury
Posts: 4
in Talkback
Am no expert so hoping I might find a little help here. I have a most beautiful Salix and for the last ten years Ive had no problem with her. However the last couples of weeks she has started to drip a very sticky substance assuming thats the sap. On some of the branches and part of the trunk in patches its very dark in colour and sticky in colour. On a few of the stems there are what appears to be a tiny black creatures. Anyone have any ideas?
Kindest Regards.Lee
0
Posts
Hi Lee
Could you post some pics of the tree and the areas with the problems - to post a pic on here you need to click on the green tree icon on the toolbar above where you type your post and follow the instructions to upload a photo - afraid it doesn't work for phones, yet.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Sorry for the naff piccy but had to take this with a mag camera. These are the insects, in clusters on several of the branches. With the naked eye they look like a black fungi/lava its not till you put a magnifier on them that you can see theyre actually insects.
black fly, aphids.Rub or squirt them off with water/soapy water
In the sticks near Peterborough
They look like black aphids - the sticky liquid will be the honeydew which they excrete - you'll probably find ants going up and down the tree to the aphids - they actually 'farm' the aphids and 'milk' them for the sweet honeydew. A black sooty mould will then grow on the honeydew, discolouring it.
The best remedy is to encourage wildlife into your garden, ladybirds and bluetits especially - the ones in our garden simply hoover up the aphids, especially at this time of year when there are lots of fledglings about.
Hang some bird feeders in or near your tree to encourage the bluetits and they'll soon find the aphids.
Good luck
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
And yes, if the tree is small enough for you to reach them, I agree with Nutcutlet, wipe or squirt them off.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Dark almost like scorch marks in several places.
That's the sooty mould growing on the honeydew.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thank you to all that have helped with this, very much appreciated!
Lee
But just remember all the other potentially good insects you'll be killing if you go the chemical route. Chemicals don't discriminate between 'good' and 'bad' insects. They're ultimate as the name says.
In the sticks near Peterborough
They are probably the Great Willow Aphid, a particularly fat and ugly beast. I had them on a Kilmarnock willow a couple of years ago, and didn't notice them until the tree was full of wasps, which feed on aphids. I have to admit I sprayed the tree as it was getting to be a bit of a problem. Now that you've mentioned this I must go out and check my tree!