<table border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing="0"><tr><td>
<pre>Good'ay everyone,

This is my maiden posting - - so please be gentle!!

As somewhat of a novice grower, my initial 400 trees have been in
about 18 months, and not going too badly (although by no means
booming). About three weeks ago I applied a recommended (based on
recent soil test report) NPK fertiliser at approx 1Kg per tree, then
within 3 to 7 days of application we commenced a very wet period,
receiving 250mm (9 inches) of rain within about a week.

Within less than a week of this "wet" finishing, I noticed quite a
number of the trees dropping virtually all their leaves "over-night".

Does anyone have any suggestions, please?
Could it be too much water ("wet feet")? - although the damaged trees
do not really fall into a pattern of being in the lowest lying part
of
the paddock. Could it be the fertiliser??

Regards, Ian Kettlewell. Guymer Lodge Olives, Faraday Vic Australia
</pre>
</td></tr></table>

<table border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing="0"><tr><td>
<pre>Ian

Welcome aboard. Have you reviewed past material on fertilisers? At
http://www.egroups.com/messagesearch...ery=fertiliser

Regards
Peter Caird
www.victorianolivegroves.com
</pre>
</td></tr></table>

<table border=0 cellpadding=2 cellspacing="0"><tr><td>
<pre>Dear Ian

When olive trees lose their leaves like yours there are several
possibilities

¥ Water - too much or not enough
¥ Pests - especially fungi and nematodes
¥ Poor nutrition including acid soils

With such a rainfall - I am sur this has contributed to the problem.

You do not have to have low lying land to get waterlogging. If the soil
profile has subsurface clay layers you can get a perched watertable with
poor drainage.

Initially this type of problem is prevented by deep ripping that
disturbs the layers, improving drainage at this point lim, dolomite or
gypsum can be added to modify soil pH and structure (the latter).

In your case - trees in the ground

¥ Trim trees back, do not pull out at this stage - but persistent
waterlogging gives stunted trees + poor crops

¥ You can rip within the rows if you can get a machine through

¥ Check the pH - you can buy a kit for about $20 (the kit does over 100
tests)get the one developped by CSIRO. It includes how much lime to
add/Ha

¥ If this is not possible - dig around the trees so that roots are not
disturbed, mix the topsoil with subsoil (+ add other organic matter -
straw, mulch) and put back and in then mound the trees so that water
will drain past. Of course only do this with affected trees.

Was there are a pattern of affected trees eg rows, adjacent trees,
random, particular variety? Let me know.

Stan Kailis
</pre>
</td></tr></table>