sycamore seedlings. please help/ advise.

charlie76

charlie76

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 March 2006
Messages
4,665
Visit site
I have what I THINK are sycamore seedlings in two of my paddocks. But I am not totally convinced that they are sycamore and no it ash or something similar as they don't look quite the same. Is there any way of telling sycamore seedlings apart form other seedlings? I am still pulling them out daily but to be honest, there is just too many. I have fenced one side of my paddock off so they can go out on the grass where there are least but I am still finding them.
To be honest, I'm at a loss as to what to do for the best. I will obviously keep pulling but I am bound to miss a few. They have a lot of grass.
I don't know whether to keep them in for a bit until the seedlings die off or whether they would be ok to go out for just an hour or so a day.

I'm going to ask my vet tomorrow what he thinks but its so worrying.

And I'm going to have my seedlings tested to know for sure.

This is what mine look like
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4071126061_5cc1683a7a_o.jpg

And we have thesehttp://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/photography/bigs/05268-Sycamore-seedling-white-background.jpg
In the garden.
They look so similar it's very hard to tell.
 
I can't open your 2nd link but the 1st photo is just a dicotyledon (the first leaves)- it could be virtually any plant. IMO the best way to deal with this situation is to put some sheep to graze under the trees - they will soon get rid of the seedlings.
 
That looks like a sycamore to me :( the ash is a lighter green leaf and a white stem. The sycamore has a red stem.

There are some brilliant Facebook groups, in particular Atypical Myopathy Awareness.

This whole thing is just so stressful, as if we don't have enough to worry about already!!
 
It looks like sycamore to me though my opinion just comes from pulling hundreds if not thousands of them. I have been removing them for almost 2 months (around an hour each day) and am now just finding the odd one so think I am getting there. It's a thought having to do this every year though.
 
charlie76 said:
Mucky pony. The ones I have picked have white\ green stems but the leaves look like the top one?
Click to expand...


I think the stem is more of an indicator of what it is as I've also pulled some with lighter leaves and red stems.

I don't know if this will work but here's a link to what I pulled up
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155364517105618&set=gm.631876160245958&type=1&theater
I thought they were Ash and people on the AM Facebook group also did.

Patchworkpony - I've wondered about this too.. Surely all of this years hay is going to be riddled with them!?

It's ridiculous, I am never going to clear my fields. I have about 6 acres of long grass. I'm just picking them as I go :(
 
charlie76 said:
I have what I THINK are sycamore seedlings in two of my paddocks. But I am not totally convinced that they are sycamore and no it ash or something similar as they don't look quite the same. Is there any way of telling sycamore seedlings apart form other seedlings? I am still pulling them out daily but to be honest, there is just too many. I have fenced one side of my paddock off so they can go out on the grass where there are least but I am still finding them.
To be honest, I'm at a loss as to what to do for the best. I will obviously keep pulling but I am bound to miss a few. They have a lot of grass.
I don't know whether to keep them in for a bit until the seedlings die off or whether they would be ok to go out for just an hour or so a day.

I'm going to ask my vet tomorrow what he thinks but its so worrying.

And I'm going to have my seedlings tested to know for sure.

This is what mine look like
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4071126061_5cc1683a7a_o.jpg

And we have thesehttp://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/photography/bigs/05268-Sycamore-seedling-white-background.jpg
In the garden.
They look so similar it's very hard to tell.
Click to expand...
yes those are sycamore seedlings pull them out.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I can't open your 2nd link but the 1st photo is just a dicotyledon (the first leaves)- it could be virtually any plant. IMO the best way to deal with this situation is to put some sheep to graze under the trees - they will soon get rid of the seedlings.
Click to expand...

copy and paste it again but put a gap after the *e* of these it will work
 
Tnavas said:
Strimmer, let them dry off and rake up. They won't grow back
Click to expand...

BUT you probably need to strim every 3/4 days for several weeks to get them all.

we mowed tues and by this AM i pulled half a bucket of fresh growth. On tues i raked up all the grass clippings and walked the entire area several times pulling any missed (was only 4/5 total so not many on tues), so you need to mow/collect/check repeatedly for several weeks i think.

Tree comes down sat, cant wait to see it dead and gone!
 
Anyone know what quantities are likely to cause problems? You're never going to get them all without spending hours a day hunting them out. And does drying out have any effect on the toxin?

I wonder if the age of the tree has anything to do with how risky it is, whether the toxins increase or decrease with age.
 
Patchworkpony said:
There is no firm information about this but would they pose the same risk as ragwort in hay I wonder?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, I imagine they aren't going to be good but not sure how anyone will find out without purposely feeding affected hay? Think all we can do is be vigilant.

Beausmate - From what I've read online nobody knows. It could be a large amount has to be eaten, or just a few with high toxicity.
 
What has brought on this sudden worry about Sycamore trees? We've had these trees around for hundreds of years yet no one has stressed about them in the past.

Please can someone fill me in
 
Tnavas said:
What has brought on this sudden worry about Sycamore trees? We've had these trees around for hundreds of years yet no one has stressed about them in the past.

Please can someone fill me in
Click to expand...

It's not totally known atm, but possibly a change in the seasonal temp/humidity variation :(.
 
Tnavas said:
What has brought on this sudden worry about Sycamore trees? We've had these trees around for hundreds of years yet no one has stressed about them in the past.

Please can someone fill me in
Click to expand...

There is a toxin in the seeds and seedlings which causes Atypical Myopathy, it's a horrid way to helplessly watch your horse die
 
Tnavas - Atypical myopathy has been around for ever but until 2013 the cause was not identified. We now know that it is caused by a toxin - hypoglycin a - that is contained in some sycamore seeds. There the current knowledge ends. We don't know how many needs to be eaten to cause a problem but that answer is probably "it depends" as the level of toxin in an individual seed can be a zero or very high. We don't know why some seeds contain the toxin & others don't even on the same tree. What we do know is when it kills it can kill within a few hours & is a horrible death from heart & respiratory failure.
 
RVC have just had their first case of the year and have issued a warning regarding the seedlings on facebook.

Last winter seemed to have more cases than normal so if these seeds are now becoming seedlings then I fear there may more cases this spring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top