Purleigh - Valley House (Essex)

A short walk from the church in Purleigh there is another Giant Redwood standing in the garden of a house on Church Hill. I had a number of emails during the summer of 2013 from various people regarding the browning of foliage on Giant Redwood trees. It is possible that this effect has increased this year (2013) due to the hot dry summer. The browning of fronds on this tree is probably quite representative of the effect that has been worrying people but I have seen browning such as this on Wellingtonia on many occasions over the years, and those trees returned to a fully green state in subsequent years. Pine trees do lose their leaves so a small and less noticeable amount of browning and dying of foliage is to be expected all year, and I suspect that the fact that the remaining foliage looks in good health is a good sign. If your tree is showing this effect and you are worried, you could put a layer of chip bark and composted material around the trunk for a few metres outward. This will help the soil retain its moisture and help prevent surface compaction. There is nothing much else that needs to be done except perhaps an occasional drenching of water during prolonged arid periods.

Common Names and Latin Name	Latitude and Longitude		OS National Grid	Elevation (above sea-level)	Height	Date Measured
	WGS84	OSGB36
Giant Redwood Sequoiadendron giganteum	N51.68731 E0.65947	N51.68680 W0.66115	TL 83928 02075	52ft (15.85m)	16.9m 16.3m	September 2019 September 2013