Recent observations have revealed some big problems with some really big trees. This drought is making things worse and I believe we are in for some frightening tree issues.
Thank you. My goal in producing these videos is to start conversations that may lead to better understanding. I make plenty of mistakes and I never want to come across as a know it all.
E. globulus will destroy your average chain, specially when dry. the twisted grain makes it really tough to split but it's one of the best firewoods out there. It provides high temperatures without many flames and lasts long.
The holes you see which are oval shaped are the exit holes when the grub turns into a beetle. The eggs are laid in cracks and under bark and is very hard to see where the small grubs enter. as the borers are damaging the tree before they exit, Kino (Red Sap) can be leaking from lesions in the tree. When there are large exit holes present, it means the damage by that beetle has already been done.
E globulus shed their bark annually. Only trees under drought stress will succumb to insect attack. They shed limbs typically in Autumn here, (after a long hot dry summer) often of an afternoon as the moisture in the tree is depleted after the long hot summer, the sea breeze comes in of an afternoon and with rapid temp drop and wind pressure on the leaves at the end of the branches, they just snap without warning. Not a good ornamental tree anywhere near buildings roadways or parking areas - especially not schools with children etc. OK in plantations for paper pulp, they yield a high grade paper pulp that makes fine glossy white paper with minimal bleaching. Your welcome from Forester Downunder.
Thanks for your insight. Always enjoy hearing comments from other parts of the world. These invasive species are becoming a huge problem here in California.
+arboristBlairGlenn E.Globulus is one of the first commercial plantations species here to have been genetically modified (and patented) to grow commercially here, in large paper pulp plantations!. Huge speculative investment schemes on viable farming land that have pretty much all gone belly up & now the farmers are having to pay to have their land cleared of trees and stumps - back to arable farm land again!. Try typing "Tas Blue Gum Plantations Receivers" into google - pages of results!
You talking about those eucalyptus long horn borers reminded me of a borer in the Eastern U.S that attacks ash trees. Emerald ash borer I believe is the name. It kills the tree within a couple of years of infestation.
That’s a shame these eucalyptus trees have so many problems. There are a lot grown in my area and they have such a nice minty fragrance. Glad to know better and not grow this in my backyard. Otherwise I might have done so already. I learn something new all the time. Thanks Blair.
@@debbie2011 eucalyptus thrive in Arizona. They grow fast and huge. It will leave tremendous amount of leaves in your yard. I would not recommend it. I had I massive one in my backyard and it was threatening my neighbors house and pool. Cut it down to the stump and it grew back to 15' tall in under two years.
We have several species of eucalyptus here on Maui, including blue gum. However here, the robusta variety is the most problematic. Beautiful trees for milling. Next time you shoot over to hawaii we should go take a walk my friend.
We have lots of Aussie imports here in SD county, most of which are beautiful. The Eucalyptus, on the other hand, were a bad choice. Their messiness and habit of toppling over onto cars, houses, freeways and people during storms have made them a nuisance and a danger. Granted, there are some impressive old specimens around, but each one of them is an accident waiting to happen.
(I hope I'm not presuming to tell grandma how to suck eggs.) Large bluegums need to be felled at this stage before problems compound themselves. They are best used as firewood, dropped before dead because they are very hard when dry, splinter easily and are hell itself on chainsaws. In my area, extensive horticulture is practiced. After WW2, shelter belts were planted with bluegums as the primary, with bamboo and others as the secondary wind breaks. But orchardists and farmers began removing the gums in the 70s, by which time they had done their job and were becoming dangerous. The red gum is a much nicer specimen tree. Col, Bay of Islands.
There's a row of eucalyptus trees on 152 near the Morgan Hill/Watsonville road. God they grow big and fast. I recall riding by them in 1968 on my Ducati. In 1998 they were trimmed up and vast amounts of wood left for anyone to take. Today they just get bigger and bigger
Sorry I missed this one? When I lived out there, I climbed just a few large ones, and didn't like them at all! (lol) Thanks for the insight I was unaware of~
Not sure if it is a concern where you are but in Australia we have eucalyptus psyllids which can cause browning of the foliage. The presence of psyllids can precede attacks by the borers.
You'll probably find that these trees will last 15 years or more before they become dangerous to climb. The wood is very tough and hard. Sure the ends of the branches will become fragile. I've seen trees stand up for many decades after they have died in Oz. It's usually the living trees that shed dead branches and live ones for that matter when you least expect it. Interesting that the Eucalyptus over there are starting to suffer. I had always heard that they did not have natural predators as they do here in Australia and thus the trees stayed very healthy throughout their life. I hope they are milling these trees for their timber and not just chipping it. They make fantastic flooring. Super hard and extremely durable.
Yep, they do indeed get hard as rock over time as they dry out. Have had to drill holes in some old hardwood boards to be able to nail into them and in fact the wood was so hard it was destroying my drill bits. My comment was more aimed at whether old dead trees are structurally safe to climb. I am going to suggest that they may well be. Ya gotta make your own decisions though on site.
@@philbox4566 yeah I’ve got a huge eucalypt at my place. There are some massive branches that I really want to cut down and put to use rather than be put through a wood chipper.
Can you give a comment on the Eucalyptus tree that recently came down in Whittier CA? An arborist is on the case but a picture I saw showed it was uprooted. Is this a result of our drought or a bug/fungus infection. I bet it will be at least a year before the reason becomes public knowledge.
arboristBlairGlenn, somewhat on topic, does the blue gum have any inherent value when it comes to woodworking? have you worked with that species of wood before? i believe I have seen it before and, contrary to its name, the wood finishes a red/maroon. im curious, because down here in LA there are a lot of trunk sections I am finding up near fire roads close to the SM mountains and am wondering if I should be loading up the trunk. thanks for the excellent videos!
The giant Blue Gum is VERY hard to mill and get any yield that does not crack, twist or bow. I have tried and ended up with very little usable wood. The wood dries very slowly but does take an amazing shine when finished. I have one piece of 2x12x6' that I milled 15 years ago and it was dead vertical grain so it did work. It is so heavy I'm not sure what to do with it??
+arboristBlairGlenn interesting. I guess I'll be staying away from those sections then. they are heavy. though I am not sure they are the same species that you are referring to. as for your big plank... what to do with a 15yr old plank of vertical blue gum? ill take it! :) you've got a great shop, im sure you'll find some use for it in there.
Certain species of Eucs are known as widow makers due to the habit of suddenly dropping a large branch on a hot still day. Globulus comes from cooler areas of southern victoria and tasmania so dont take drought well.
No doubt, but I was wondering if it was a crazy amount. There are a lot of people that never even mulched their birches, and this drought seems like it'd destroy most of them.
