I come inside after a hot morning’s work in the garden … I’ve been adding bags of manure, organic fertiliser, lucerne, sugarcane mulch, seaweed and compost tea to our main shade tree by our house to try to save it.  I hope it’s not too late …

It’s not happy since we trimmed some of its surface roots which were ‘inconveniently located’ where our new paving needs to be. In protest, it started to drop its leaves … not many at first so we didn’t take much notice.

Then a few more fell and as its solar panels became few and far between … we suddenly realised our plans for an outdoor room may have compromised the shade and beauty that we wanted to sit under. We didn’t realise our actions could cause the tree so much stress.  Maybe we should have kept the patchy lawn instead of pavers.  Hindsight is a humbling teacher!

Highly motivated to delay any sudden death, I started telling the tree I’d nurture it back to health and make up for cutting its root off!  It didn’t seem at all convinced … more leaves and skinny branches dropped on the lawn.  I felt guilty and sad. Perhaps similar to not valuing your health until you get sick?

It’s still not looking good. The tree needs a tonic (so do I!) so I deliver more seaweed and hose in the manure tea. I set up a soaker hose as it’s been hot and dry lately which hasn’t helped. It needs a lot of love.

When I finish foliar spraying the kelp on the remaining leaves, I smell like some foul thing that’s been lying on the beach after too many days in the sun. I hope it’s worth it!

That’s when a visitor pops by … I walk out onto the verandah in the hope that the fresh air will disguise the odour.  I move a little hoping he’s standing downwind of me.  He’s either too polite to comment or ‘smell’ is not one of his stronger senses!  Either way, I’m grateful.  After his sudden departure, I stand back and look at the tree again near our entrance … and realise now how much I value it. (more…)