QUESTION:
Our camellia used to flower beautifully but now it’s been attacked by a possum. Is there anything we can do? Also, should we trim the branches that have been stripped?
ANSWER:
Prune all damaged stems back to the canopy and fertilise with a camellia-specific product such as Kahoona. Spikes, netting, old CDs and strips of foil are generally ineffective at deterring possums. There are electronic devices that emit a sonic deterrent, and while they may work on most possums, there's usually a 'black sheep' in the family that ignores them – I’ve had mixed results. Products like Multicrop Skat and D’Ter Animal & Bird Deterrent both use aluminium ammonium sulphate as the active ingredient. It’s not a poison but a deterrent, and I’ve found it to be effective, though it does need to be reapplied always after it rains.
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