Rowan Tree Poorly
ritna
Posts: 39
hi..my Rowan is looking poorly. bark spilt on main trunk, branches look dried and have yellow fungus? it has buds but doesnt look good. Ive trawled the net but cant find any definite anserws. anyone got any idea whats wrong?
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Can you post a picture?
oops that took a while!
There were several threads last year about poorly rowan trees.
The consensus of opinion seemed to be that rowan trees require very good drainage, and the trees affected were growing on wet or waterlogged soil, made worse by the very wet Summer.
See: http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/problem-solving/no-berries-on-my-rowan-trees/5096.html
And: http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/problem-solving/very-poorly-rowan/5864.html
One of those trees was mine. It now has a blue-ish fungus growing on many of the branches...
I don't know if that's the same type of fungus as yours or not. As far as I can determine, this type of fungus commonly grows on rotting wood.
thanks...I think you're probably right about the soggy stuff...it did go down hill last summer, was ok year before. I might need to get the local surgeon to have a look...
At least it's not ash dieback. Ministry of Food & Fisheries or whatever it's calling itself nowadays has said that Rowan (mountain ash) is immune to ash dieback, thank goodness.
Does anyone know how to propoagate rowans? I'm moving later this year, and I'd love to take a cutting or something of my original, well established rowan at the bottom of the garden. It's home to a pair of blackbirds that make me laugh (they're very tame for blackbirds, we've known each other for a few years now and they know I'm harmless, but a good source of worms & slugs), so I'd love to have another tree in my new garden.
My rowan has kept lots of birds fed, I normally replenish the bird table, I haven't been able to keep up with demand this year, but it's kept a lot of birds alive, not many berries left now - not seen it this denuded EVER.
The stuff growing on the branches (and definitely in Lyon's photo) looks like lichen. If so, that is nothing to worry about whatsoever as it grows only on the surface and indicates you have excellent air quality (lichen will not grow where there is air pollution.) The split bark is more worrying and if it is from ground level, try peeling back a small section along the crack and have a sniff. If it smells strongly of mushrooms, it could be the dreaded honey fungus.
oh thanks
Lyon's photo is definitely lichen as Bob says. In Dordogne, where I live there is masses of it and the air is very pure.
Update on the Rowan.....best yeae its had since i moved here....yep, nothing to worry about....its absolutely gloriously covered with absolutely masses of berries...
Good news then, thanks for the update.