Is it common for catalpa trees to lose their leaves in the summertime? Mine’s done it for the past two or three years – at some point they just all wilt, dry up and fall off. One year they never came back, the next I watered more and they did. Watering more seems to help, but only partially. This year they’re wilting and falling off again. I’ve increased watering even more, but it’s lost about half it’s leaves so far. There’s been no digging near the tree, so it’s not root damage, although it did suffer some bark damage a couple years ago from cold winter weather. It’s standing in a windy spot.
check for copper nails?
Carpenter Ants?
How big are carpenter ants? We don’t have any large ants, if they’re large.
I’ve been in denial about the copper nail thing. I did check last year and didn’t find any, but may have to look more closely this weekend. The linde has been looking a little droopy lately as well. Fcuking copper nails.
The carpenter ants weren’t very big, not as big as the beatles…
Didn’t eat much either.
is it common to think about a trees life? or its health?
is it just your tree? or do you love it?
where does the water go? is a Catalpas comunication somehow different from other trees comments on poor place?
little trees grow better when planted — the ratio roots to leaves can be ballanced better when small and a bad ground can be worked through slowly.
the wilting shows a shortage on water, the windy spot is a multiplier and sink — Catalpas like riverbanks with varied groundwaterlevel and woods.
the bark damage was caused by hot wintersun and frost in the night — presumeably the ground was clogged and is heavy clay, and if so then dig and add lots of sand, in fall.
the ground does not provide enough water all the time of the year in your place — Austria?! [people over there lately been aware of hottest june on records since 1810something]
draw a 1,5m radius circle around your stem, put 20 to 25cm of barkmulch there to invite & encourage worms to do the work & digging for you and your Catalpa will blossom.
yes, and put some water.
kind regards
gm, vienna
I am in Michigan and we have two large Catalpa trees on the property, about 10′ in circumference. Both have similar symptoms. Both were/are hollow inside. The wind blew one over last summer. The roots had a massive number of Carpenter ants. I have since found carpenter ants in the other one. It comes down next month.