More trees will be inoculated against elm disease this summer, starting next month.
Around 1400 elm trees in the city will be injected with an organic, non-toxic control agent designed to protect them against the disease for a year.
Now in its third year, Brighton and Hove City Council will be expanding the programme to include more trees within its parks.
The inoculation programme will take around two weeks and is scheduled to start at the beginning of May.
The elm trees are injected with a biological vaccine called DutchTrig. This contains a type of fungus that induces a defensive response to elm disease, which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Unfortunately, it can’t prevent the spread through root transmission.
The vaccine is non-toxic, contains no synthetic chemicals and has no effect on people or animals.
Areas for inoculation are chosen based on the concentration of elms, those with mature elms or have trees with historical significance.
Since 2023, trees have been protected in:
- Old Steine
- Pavilion Gardens
- Victoria Gardens
- Valley Gardens
- The Level
- Preston Park (including the Preston Twin)
- Rock Gardens
- Saltdean Vale
- Portslade Cemetery
- Elm Grove
- Carden Hill
- Shirley Drive
- Ditchling Road
- Dyke Road
Trees in this area will be treated this year:
- Queen’s Park
- Hove Park
- Hove Rec
- St Ann’s Well Gardens
- Saunders Park
- Blakers Park
- Wish Park
The council’s arboriculture team carries out regular inspections, sometimes using drones, to look for signs of elm disease around the city.
Unfortunately, if confirmed, this can sometimes mean that they have to fell trees to prevent further spread. The council says felling is only ever done as a last resort.
The council is again asking residents to help in the fight against elm disease by not buying or bringing in logs for winter fuel/firewood if the supplier cannot guarantee that the wood isn’t elm.
Councillor Alan Robins, cabinet member responsible for trees, said: “We face an ongoing battle against elm disease in Brighton and Hove. Inoculating hundreds of trees will help to protect them for another year.
“We carefully select important areas of the city where we know inoculations will have the greatest effect – especially when it comes to protecting some of the older and historically significant elms we have.
“Brighton and Hove is blessed with a beautiful collection of elms – and it’s vital we do everything we can to try and safeguard their future.”
