Weeding the Web

Figs - 2015 a bumper harvest

Normally, this time of year, we have the Ceremony of The Fig. From the Mighty Fig, The Fig is solemnly removed, laid on a red velvet cushion, carried in procession, worshipped for a few hours, then cut precisely with a silver knife and consumed with gem-set teaspoons.

OK, slight exaggeration, but you get the picture. Our Brown Turkey, now around five years old, has been sparing in its offerings. This year? Pah! Another fig? Throw it in the bowl with the others. One's a bit mouldy? No sweat.  This year, we've had, ooh, twenty? Thirty? We've had pounds and pounds. At last, I thought, our fig tree has grasped the point of its being.  From now on, we'll have firkins of figs every year.

But I suspect not. Everyone's talking about their fig harvest. Best for years. Nina Baxter (@landgirl) tweeted a picture of a bowlful. Michele Chapman has a very tempting Figgy Cheese Tart on Vegplotting. Apparently, it's been great in the States too (Andrea Yeager offers Fig Pickles and Fresh Fig Cake).

I fear that this year has rather changed our perspective. The Ceremony of The Fig will be a thing of the past. If the Mighty Fig only gives one fruit next year, we'll probably just kick its trunk in revenge.

Tree Following: lilac - what fungus is this?

Oh, dear. Things are Not Looking Good. When I last reported in June, there were a few leaves that were showing brown patches. In fact they looked like this:

Now, the whole bush has a rather sickly appearance:

And the majority of the leaves look like this:

Now, it sounds ridiculous, but I have in the past been caught out by normal activity. "Oh, no, it's dying!" being replaced with, "I forgot, leaves turn brown in autumn." Now, though, I don't know what you think, but it just doesn't look healthy to me, and leaves have been getting steadily worse over the last month, which would make it a very early autumn.

Today, for the first time, I noticed this at the base of the trunk:

Not a good sign, you think? I've tried identifying it via Google and have come to the conclusion that it might be a root rot, but if anyone out there has any idea, do leave a comment.

Back in June, Lucy wondered if there was something living inside the leaves where the brown patches are.  I've kept my eye on them and haven't spotted anything. In July last year, when some of the shoots wilted, NotesofNature suggested it might be a sign of a fungus blocking vascular elements. Is this white stuff a progression of that?

If it is root rot, then research tells me that it's a sign of a poor root system and, given that the tree was half-uprooted in the gale in October 2013, it would seem that a jigsaw is being assembled. Still, ever the optimist, my fingers are firmly crossed that it's something innocuous. Do let me know if you have any suggestions.

This is part of Tree Following with Lucy Corrander and Loose and Leafy. Why not visit and see what's happening to trees elsewhere?