GARDENERS from across the Isle of Man are invited to a new event to be held next month to swap seeds and cuttings.

It is being hosted by gardeners who run the various allotments around the Island and will be staged in Laxey on the afternoon of Sunday, February 19.

The event is the idea of gardening enthusiast Tanya Highet who runs the Laxey Allotments. She has linked up with other allotment groups on the Island and together they are hosting the event at the Laxey Sailing Club. Admission is free and the event is open to the public and anyone interested in gardening.

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The idea is to bring seeds, sets, crowns and shoots that gardeners might not need and swap them for new ones with other gardeners who attend.

Tanya Highet said, “Everyone seems to have a stack of seeds that they might not be using and this is a chance to save some money on getting some new ones to try.

“And since we’ll have a cosy fire it will be a great opportunity to just to chat about growing and to get to know other ‘green thumbs’ on the Island. We also want to make it inviting to new gardeners, so we aren’t requiring that you show up with seeds in hand.

“For these people it could be more of a social gathering, but they could also try to strike a bargain with seed swappers to get some of their wares.”

The event is believed to be the first of its kind for many years and it’s hoped it could become an annual occasion if it proves successful.

Tanya Highet added, “We’re hoping to see lots of people in Laxey on February 19 between 3pm and 5pm. The initial response has been very encouraging and posters will soon be on display.”

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A SERIOUS outbreak of disease in larch trees will mean that many hundreds of trees will have to be felled this winter as an emergency method of controlling the spread of the fungus to other varieties such as rhododendron and blueberry.

The disease has now been officially confirmed after it was initially discovered in the plantations close to Ballaugh village, with the Department of Agriculture taking the decision to close Colden plantation and to restrict access to Ballaugh plantation.

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DEFA staff are currently involved in investigations into other suspected sites identified by aerial surveys. The Department has also called a public meeting for next week to discuss the potential threat to the Island’s trees and shrubs. It will be held at the Glen Helen Hotel on Thursday, November 10th at 7.30pm.

The disease is officially known as ‘phytophthora ramorum’ which is also occasionally referred to as ‘Sudden Oak Death’, although this is misleading in the UK as to date native oaks have shown little susceptibility to this disease.  However, this has not been the case in the USA where oaks have suffered, hence the name.

Phytophthora ramorum is a fungus-like pathogen which is serious in Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi) trees and rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum), both of which produce large numbers of infective spores.  Larch and rhododendron are widespread throughout the Isle of Man.

It kills larch trees very quickly and is a recent appearance in Britain. The trees produce large quantities of the spores that spread the disease, which can infect a wide range of trees and plant species. The only available disease control treatment is to fell the trees, preferably before the next spore release, which current information indicates occurs in the autumn.

To control the disease, DEFA said in a statement today that it will fell areas within both Ballaugh and Colden plantations, amounting to around 9,000 cubic metres of timber covering an area of 30 hectares (74 acres).

The statement said, “Whilst the Department carries out the necessary sanitation felling of infected areas, the decision has been taken to close Colden Plantation to the public and restrict access to Ballaugh Plantation.

“The Department therefore asks members of the public to respect and observe all site signage and information notices to help prevent the risk of the disease spreading not only to other plantations but also to plants in the uplands and private gardens.”

The outbreak follows similar recent findings in Cumbria and Lancashire, following its original UK discovery in the south west of England, where the disease has caused the premature felling of hundreds of thousands of larch trees.

The outbreak was first suspected during aerial surveys to look for signs of the disease which was undertaken by the Forestry Commission, in conjunction with the UK Food & Environment Research Agency (F.E.R.A).

Experts followed-up with ground inspections and laboratory analysis of samples taken from trees which showed possible symptoms of the disease.  Other larch woodland in surrounding areas is being inspected from the ground to check whether the disease is more widely present. 

Dr. John Morgan, Head of the Forestry Commission’s Plant Health Service, said, “Overall, the number and area of outbreaks on larch that we are finding this year are down on the previous two years, and most are close to, or contiguous with, previously infected sites. However, these outbreaks in new regions demonstrate that the threat posed by this disease is still serious.

“We are therefore continuing to urge everyone who manages, works in or visits trees and woodland to keep a close watch for signs of the disease, not only in larch trees, but also in other susceptible plants, particularly rhododendron and bilberry.  Anyone who suspects they have seen its symptoms should report it without delay.”

Symptoms of the disease vary from species to species, but is in general evident by rapid blackening and wilting of foliage.  Detailed information about P. ramorum, and a symptom recognition guide, is available from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture.

For further information contact:  www.forestry.gov.uk/pramorum.

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