Vaseline on tree trunks (forum)

amanda starts with ...
Hi - following Happy Earth's comment about vaseline - I decided to investigate one of my apple trees and these are the pics.
The section I took out (in the vaselined area) - does it look ok? It's quite different looking to the fresh one.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2
Picture: 3

Time: 21st October 2010 3:20pm

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About the Author amanda19
Geraldton Mid West WA
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HappyEarth says...
Looks very similar to my macadamia that slowly died from the vaseline area and above. Luckily it was cutting grown and it just shot up from below and is now a healthy small tree. Set it back a year and a half though :(


Time: 21st October 2010 3:30pm

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About the Author HappyEarth1
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amanda says...
Sadly Happy Earth - I think you may be right. I googled the symptoms of collar rot and it's girdling effect. One of the signs is premature ripening, and dropping of the fruit, amoung other things - all of which this tree is displaying.

Here is a pic of the prematurely ripening fruit (which is still rock hard)

The tree has been given everything it needs and I can make no other sense of the problems.

I hope it's not the case - but how frustrating if it is....!?

Maybe skip vaseline on your tree trunks guys :-o


(ps just did some more googling and this method recommended by many sites - but - there are also references to it killing trees too....best to google advice before taking it on board perhaps? I vaselined about 10 trees - it may be a painful lesson learnt...)
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 21st October 2010 7:08pm

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Original Post was last edited: 21st October 2010 7:40pm

About the Author amanda19
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peter says...
i vasalined some of my japanese plums
last year but i wraped the area with
masking tape first and applied it
to that.

Time: 21st October 2010 8:29pm

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Jason says...
I've never heard of rubbing vaseline to tree, whats the goal of it supposed to be? I guess to kill something that's alive other than the tree?:). I have heard of people putting vaseline on themselves but I'd put a pretty strong bet on it being a decent carcinogenic so I wouldn't use it myself

Time: 21st October 2010 9:20pm

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About the Author Jason
Portland
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peter says...
it is petroleum based, so is baby oil.

the goal of putting it around the trunk
is to provide a barrier to insects
climbing up the trunk.

Time: 21st October 2010 11:18pm

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Brendan says...
Have a look for Tanglefoot Pest Barrier, or Tanglefoot Tree Banding Kit from: www.greenharvest.com.au

(Should be under Horticultural Glues)

Not petroleum based :-)

Time: 22nd October 2010 8:38am

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Original Post was last edited: 22nd October 2010 8:46am

About the Author Brendan
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amanda says...
Thanks Speedy, Brendan et al! I made this a new heading so that if anyone was googling the topic it would be easy to find (hence the 2 threads) :)

I don't have the weevils etc going up the trunks anymore - maybe cos' I have so many birds now. Nature has balanced things out for me over the last year or so.

I do have a big bull ant nest about 30m from the orchard do deal with - but they are doing a great job of keeping any pests out of my stone fruit trees at present (they "meat" ants) I don't think even the birds will be wanting to land on a branch and risk their bite, in order to nick my fruit!?

So we are having a symbiotic relationship for the time being :))

Time: 23rd October 2010 12:48pm

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About the Author amanda19
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