Radiata Pines at Disappearing Tarn

Wednesday 18 January 2012

After spending some of the morning learning about the threat from Orange Hawkweed we moved on to the Springs where after walking past it twice the reported Holly was spotted; it was hard to see how we could have missed but there you go.

From there we went to Disappearing Tarn to track down a reported Radiata Pine which was found exactly where described. On closer inspection we discovered that other pines had been cut down years ago and  the one in question had been partly cut into.   Three other pines were also located nearby.  Apart from a smallish one , all the living specimens had been cut or partly ringbarked.   They may or may not have been poisoned as well as cut, but nevertheless were still alive and generally healthy.

The four live pines were all completely and heavily ringbarked and herbicide applied to the cut.

It appears that pines don’t reshoot if cut down   but if not ringbarked enough  may continue growing.    It is not known if the ones cut down in the past were also poisoned.  All we have ringbarked have also had herbicide applied (glyphosate)