Water damaged Flooded tree and Plants treatment of

Over the past several months areas around Sydney basin such as the Blue Mountains, Central coast, Newcastle South Coast and Southern Highlands and the Sydney basin have experienced above average rainfall in some areas floods, at Bullaburra In the Blue Mountains I recorded 329.5mm of rain. Normally this amount of rain would fall in summer from thunderstorms when the temperature is warmer and the water evaporates quicker, but know it is cooler the water is staying in the soil longer and could be damaging your trees and gardens. Some trees and plants have adapted to flood prone areas and can survive with their roots been wet for long periods many cannot. If this is the case then your trees and plants may become stressed Waterlogged and flooded soil have insufficient amounts of oxygen in it, for the plant roots to take up and release water or release excess carbon dioxide. Plants may paradoxically look like they are wilting, but it is not because of too little water, it is because they can no longer access the available water. This leads to root rot and death. While we may not be able to prevent flooding, we should at least be on the alert for signs our plants are struggling. Start by watching for these signals. Symptoms are generally first apparent on the leaves, although trees and shrubs may not exhibit symptoms for a year or more. Signs you plants have been damaged by waterlogged soil include: • Stunting • Yellowing leaves • Twisting leaves • Dropping leaves • Soft, spongy areas at the base of the leaf • Wilting despite plenty of water • Roots turning dark, often with a rotting odour. • Lack of flowers or fruits • Stunting • Yellowing leaves • Twisting leaves • Dropping leaves • Soft, spongy areas at the base of the leaf • Wilting despite plenty of water • Roots turning dark, often with a rotting odour. • Lack of flowers or fruits Unfortunately, once the soil is flooded, there is not much you can do but be patient. Just because a plant shows signs of distress doesn't mean it won't eventually recover. In the meantime: Don't walk on waterlogged soil. You will just compact it and cause more damage to distressed roots. If the plants were underwater, clean them off with a hose, to remove and sludge and other residue. Keep an eye out for diseases that will take advantage of stressed plants. Fungal disease in particular favour damp weather. You can purchase a relatively inexpensive soil moisture meter at most hardware stores. A meter will tell you the percentage of water remaining in your soil. If you still have mud, you won't need a meter to tell you the soil is waterlogged. But if you are wondering if it is dry enough for the roots to get the necessary oxygen, a meter will tell you when the soil has reached that level (usually between 40 - 70%). If the tree is a large specimen and you are worried about what may happen to the tree there are other more advantaged techniques that can be used from removing any mulch from around the tree leaving the soil bare to help with evaporation, inserting U-shape 62mm slotted agricultural drainage pipe to help add oxygen to the soil and dry it out. Arborist Fred Janes at Angophora Consulting Arborist is a level 5 arborist (AQF level 5) qualified in the latest techniques Fred can provide professional advice on how to mitigate the risk and allay fears that you may have of your tree/s.