Updates of my homepage The Ginkgo Pages

* Added photo of Ginkgo in Australia.
* Added poem 'Simile: Willow and Ginkgo' by Eve Merriam.
* New photo photospecial page: Ginkgo pair in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Updates of my homepage The Ginkgo Pages

* On this page (readers for readers) many new photos.

Ginkgo art

German chromolithograph in "Die Pflanze in Kunst und Gewerbe" (1890) by Anton Seder.

Ginkgo tree of choice in Britain

The Tree Council has planted one outside its London offices. It is now the tree of choice for street planting in towns around Britain. Why? Read more.

Falling branches

I have a 30 foot (10 M) Ginko Tree that has suddenly
started to drop (in early July) the ends of its
branches. The falling branches are 1 to 1.5 feet (24
to 40 cm) in length. Four to five branches drop each
day. The leaves on falling branches seem to be
healthy. The point of the break is clean as if
pruned.
Other information: We have experienced over the
recent weeks 4 inches of rain. We have had below
average rainfall in the Spring and cooler than normal
temperatures. Japanese Beetles are infesting plants
in the area, but are not seen on the Ginko. For the
past three years the bottom three feet of the trunk
has had a loose wrap of copper window screen to
protect the trunk (bark)from domestic cats that prefer
to use the Ginko trunk as a claw post.

Topic by David Whitenack

Updates of my homepage The Ginkgo Pages

* Added to Ginkgo poem by Nemerov: link to webcam of the Ginkgo Walk, Washington University in St.Louis, Missouri

Ginkgo sex change in Kew Gardens

A male Ginkgo tree of 1762 is undergoing a sex change for it is getting seeds too. Read more here.

Updates of my homepage The Ginkgo Pages

* New photo photospecial page: Ginkgo in Himeji Japanese Garden, Adelaide, South Australia.

Changing level of soil around Ginkgo

I have a 30-year-old male ginkgo tree, growing in the parkway--the space between a public sidewalk and the street. There has never been much open ground space (not covered by street and sidewalk, and I haven't made much of a point of watering it, yet it has thrived and is now about 40 or so feet tall. Before now, the ground level was the same height as the sidewalk. I built a little retaining wall about 10 or 11 inches high, and filled it up with good soil, and have begun to plant things.
The possible problem:
I was informed, and confirmed it on the web, that I might kill the tree due to changing the level of soil around the tree, and/or by putting the new ten inches of soil against the bark of the tree. It is said that this might keep enough water and air from getting to the smaller roots that are closer to the top. they say it could take several years, but it will, or might, eventually kill the tree.I found a list of trees that are particularly sensitive to this particular sin, and a list that are hardier for this and would more likely not be so affected by it. The ginkgo was not listed in either group.I don't want to remove the planter. I could remove some soil from around the trunk by, say, 18 inches. But would that be enough to help? Is it necessary in the first place?

How hardy is the male ginkgo? How susceptible is it to changes in environment? Is it a touchy, high-strung tree, or is it a robust bully of sorts? I'd really like to gamble on just leaving things as they now are, if it is a reasonable risk. On the other hand, I don't want to lose this beautiful tree, and would go through some reasonable amount of additional back-breaking work, if there was a reasonable chance of losing the tree by not doing penance for this, my terrible sin.

Topic by Larry Hallock