Budding avocado tree + possums = disaster! (forum)

Mike14 starts with ...
Hi Guys,

I'm not sure if I'm looking for advice, or just a shoulder or two to cry on...

Down here in Melbourne, avocado trees are rare and getting them to stay alive during the baking Melbourne summers is a battle.

My tree (almost 20 years old now) has managed to (just!) scrape few a few of the hotter years and I've done my best to take are of the old girl and ensure she survives.

However, over the past few weeks it seems she's come up against her biggest threat - possums.

I didn't notice the damage until it was too late - I've been laid up inside for 4 weeks with a torn calf muscle. But what's seems to have happened is that ring-tailed possums have discovered that the leaves and buds of the tree are irresistible.

It's around this time of year (down here, at least) when the old leaves begin to shed and the new buds start to grow. However, I've just been out for a close look at the tree and it looks like 95% of the new buds (and probably 80% of the older leaves) have all gone - been completely chewed off.

I'm pretty upset, I guess. What I'd like to know (yes, there IS a point to all this rambling!) is there anything I can do you help the tree through the upcoming summer, now that it's going to have to try and survive without any leaves? Will it be able to survive without any leaves?

I'm looking into the possum problem too - the big issue is that the tree is within 1m of a 9ft wooden fence, which is the way the possums have been getting onto the tree. I'm planning on putting spikes on the fence top and also trimming back any branches that might be used as access. I'll also try and possum-proof the trunk(s) so they can't climb up from the ground. Trapping is also an option and despite being a native animal-lover, I'd happily take a cricket-bat to them at the moment...

Any suggestions and advice will be very gratefully received!

Wish me luck!

Cheers,

Mike.

Time: 13th August 2014 10:39am

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About the Author Mike
Melbourne
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Jason says...
Hey mike I have resident ringies here that are in my Avocado trees but they haven't been eating leaves buds or bark. Only the fruit. Although I have had the possums very nearly kill other trees by stripping bark off them and eating the bark right down to branch wood.

I'm thinking of traping and moving some myself soon because thery eat most of my avocados.

Time: 13th August 2014 11:24am

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About the Author Jason
Portland
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Julie W says...
Possums started eating my oranges for the first time ever this year - must have developed a taste for them.

So now I have Possums AND parrots to contend with. Sigh!

Time: 14th August 2014 10:06am

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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MaryT1 says...
The possums mow young leaves of my citrus from the fence; they save me from pruning on that side :) All my Chinotto oranges got taken but they're the only ones so they must be fussy possums or maybe there's a human involved.

Time: 14th August 2014 10:58am

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About the Author MaryT1
Sydney
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Brain says...
Mike, sympathies. My 2 cents addition would be to net the tree until new growths establishes. And in the meantime, give it a bit of seasol to lessen the tree stress.

Time: 14th August 2014 12:19pm

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About the Author Brain
Brisbane
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allybanana says...
My freind kept the possums of with two wires the first earthed and the other electrofied about 5cm out from the first when the possums crawl through they get zapped.

Time: 18th August 2014 9:01pm

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About the Author allybanana
EDEN, NSW
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Julie W says...
More info please allybanana. Me not understand.

Time: 19th August 2014 8:03pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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Julie W says...
Has anyone tried this?

http://www.richgro.com.au/products/pest-disease-and-weed-control-my-vegetable-garden/beat-a-bug-poss-off/

Time: 22nd August 2014 9:46am

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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Mike says...
Hi Guys,

Well, just as the weather started to warm-up, a minor miracle seems to have occurred - the tree has budded and now a fairly complete set of leaves (along with flowers)seems to have sprung from nowhere.

I didn't bother to feed, apart from a spray of water-on Seasol, but the tree seems to have produced a complete set of new buds from nowhere - if this usual?

I gave the tree a good soak with another round of Seasol yesterday (probably a bit late to fertilise properly?), but at least it looks like the tree has sprung back to life!

Cheers,

Mike.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 8th October 2014 10:03am

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About the Author Mike
Springvale, Vic
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allybanana says...
Okay More info Julie W on the possum electric fence, my freind Pete has a small orchard which has rabbit wire for the first meter and then bird netting over the rest of the orchard the possums kept busting through the bird netting eating fruit and deffoliating trees. To stop this he placeed a hot wire on the outside of the enclosue about 10cm out horizontaly from the top of the rabbit wire and another higher up out from a straining wire. The idea is the possums climb up and if they try and climb under or over the live wire they will have some part of them touching the other wire and KAPOOWW. I use a simlar system around the house to stop our ducks and geese sitting on the door step, a low 10cm wire around the house gets them when they try to step over it.

Time: 14th October 2014 9:15pm

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About the Author allybanana
EDEN, NSW
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Markmelb says...
Dont worry Mike - new leaves should be growing now - my Lamb Hass and Reed are naked of old leaves on top half and its just normal not the possums just the year.
The bacon is Late - the Reed early and Lamb Hass holding fruit quite a bit later than a LH first time flowering in a big way - without many pollinators apart from another Bacon 10mts away - both in ground so can move closer - lol

Time: 14th October 2014 9:54pm

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About the Author Markmelb
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Julie ! says...
alleybanana, thanks for getting back to this thread. I'll have a think about how I can use the information.

Time: 15th October 2014 1:33am

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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