Page 69 - Demo

February 2026 | Gazette Life | 69branch joins the trunk or a bigger branch. The collar is usually wider at the base than at the top of the branch. If you remove this with a flush cut, the wound you create may never seal. Mature trees with large, weeping, unhealed wounds on their sides are common, and these are perfect entry points for fungal decay that can hollow out and eventually kill a tree. By carefully preserving the branch collar when you cut, bark will grow over the wound and greatly reduce the risk of infection.If you try sawing off a heavy branch from above in one go, the branch may snap before the cut is complete and tear a long strip of bark from the stem as it falls. If you saw only from below, the weight of the branch will increasingly pinch and immobilize the saw. Both problems are prevented by following the first two steps shown in the diagram: make a small undercut to prevent bark tearing, followed by a second cut from above to remove most of the branch. The final cut then requires careful identification of the branch collar. Sometimes it is clearly visible, but even if it cannot be seen it is best to assume it is present and make the final cut just outside where the collar would be, at a slight angle as shown in the diagram.Our human ability to fight disease depends on having a huge variety of blood cells, each programmed to combat particular types of infection. Trees have their own version of this clever genetic juggling: different branches of the same tree may vary in their genetic makeup. In practice, this may mean that one branch is much more afflicted by disease than another. Cut off that unhealthy branch and the rest of the tree may thrive.Palm trees evolved along a different line from most branched trees and do not use CODIT in the same way. Here in Har%u00eda and elsewhere, this has heartbreaking consequences, as a triple attack involving insects, fungi and bacteria is devastating our palms. Har%u00eda was once known as %u201cthe valley of a thousand palms%u201d - whether that figure was ever counted or not, it is sadly less likely to be accurate today. The beauty of the Har%u00eda district does not depend entirely on these gorgeous Canarian palms, but they certainly help! Far more than just an emblem of Har%u00eda, their ability to grow even in years with little or no rain, while producing fronds for goat fodder, was key to human survival here for thousands of years.No fully effective treatment has yet been developed, but a stroll around Har%u00eda makes it clear that palms growing in more favourable, less-stressed spots seem much less affected. Most deaths occur among trees on hillsides and on arid, eroded sites. This is a worldwide problem: a friend from Uruguay tells me things are even worse there. Canary Island palms once lined the streets in many towns, and planting them in tight rows may have made it easier for infections and pests to spread.My own plan against the palm plague might start like this. Firstly, select seeds from apparently unaffected palms; they might just be lucky, but they may also have some genetic resistance to disease. If you can plant a tree directly from seed, that is best. A healthy looking young tree grown in a pot will almost inevitably have developed a tight ball of twisted roots that can restrict the development of a strong root system as the tree grows. Add the seeds to a suitable well-dug and composted site and thin out all but the strongest one as the seeds sprout.Meanwhile, the council in Har%u00eda is busy trying to protect the palms with insecticide. It is not yet clear how successful this will be, but it is encouraging to see the current mayor taking our unique flora seriously, and his efforts deserve support.Pete Clark is Canary Islands Grass, now in his 19th year turning Lanzarote and Fuerteventuragreen; an expert in artificial grass installations and making the joins seamless!Contact Pete on 658 25 87 82 or info@canaryislandsgrass.com'YOU ONLY DO IT ONCE SO DO IT RIGHT'Premium quality grass at affordable prices with a 10 year guaranteeNO AREA TOO BIG, NO AREA TOO SMALL, CANARY ISLANDS GRASS CAN COVER IT ALL!