Eucalyptus care and management

Question

We have a monumental gum tree in our backyard and we are afraid that it is dying or dead. The trunk is over 3 m in diameter at chest height and divides up into several large portions that are several stories high. Two springs ago, it was heavily affected by lerp psyllids (many trees in the area were also). It lost a lot of leaves, but re-grew them the following summer. That winter (2015), it lost many leaves again and never re-grew them in spring. By late spring, most of the large trunk portions appeared dead, with some re-growth sprouting from the trunks and branches as a eucalyptus does after a fire.

One or two large trunk portions appear to be unaffected. It would break our hearts to lose the tree, not to mention leaving a huge hole in the local ecology and in our wallets! Can you please advise us as to what has happened and what we can do? We are afraid that some arborists will not look past the cut-it-down scenario. Can you advise us of someone we can consult?

Many thanks,
Bronwyn

Answer 1

I would contact your local County Extension Office.
They are a valuable source of information regarding the issues that are happening locally in the environment.
Here is a link to locate the closest office to you.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/

I located the following information for you.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7460.html
http://nature.berkeley.edu/biocon/dahlsten/rglp/Dahlsten-handout_rglp.pdf
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/390283/Psyllids-Insect-Pests-of-Eucalypts.pdf

You may still need to have the tree examined by a reputable Arborist.
The Extension Office should be able to help you find an expert in your area.
Best of luck.