Never ever believe all that you read

LOOK! What happened to the trunk of fruit tree after Vaseline was used

and then removed next day

      Another victim of the helpful hint.

Never ever believe all that you read.  

Article written by Heather Camilleri of her husband Joe’s experience with believing what you read.

Joe had been reading the helpful hints on the archives site and as he was having a real problem with ants at the time he thought he would try this helpful hint. The helpful hint is highlighted in bold print which I have copied and pasted below for all to read.

HELPFUL HINTS from The Rare Fruit Archives site.

Ants
To keep ANTS from climbing over fresh fruit stored inside the house, put fruit in a bowl and set it in a dish of water. This will keep your fruit free from ants. (5-81)

To keep ants out of trees while the fruit is ripening, rub a ring of Vaseline, about 10 cm wide, around the trunk of the tree. It won’t damage the tree, but ants won’t walk over it to spoil your fruit. (July, 1994)

Joe purchased a tub of Coles Smart Buy Petroleum Jelly (Australian Made) which has a warning on the side of the tub which states “Discontinue use if an irritation or rash develops. Keep out of reach of children”

Joe goes off into his fruit tree patch and happily goes around putting the Vaseline around the trunks of all the trees which these pesky ants are busily going to and fro on. Joe thinks he is going to outsmart them.

Well, the next day he checks to see if the ants have given up and he discovers that they are still going up and down the trees over the ring of Vaseline. Joe proceeds to wipe all the Vaseline off the trunks of the trees, because it did warn him on the tub to discontinue use if an irritation or rash developed.

After a short while he notices the bark on these trees going a funny colour. The Vaseline has gone into the bark of the tree trunks and has made the trees very sick some may even die. If they survive Joe says the trees will be behind in their growing by about three years. Time will only tell him what will be the final results.

Most of these trees are now producing new shoots below the line where the Vaseline has killed the bark. Sad to see as they all have been growing for about three years and all were doing well.

The fruit trees affected were Maha Janka mango, Ackee, Canistel, Soursop and Minusopmaxims. Thank heavens Joe did not do the whole orchard.

So much for the Coles SMART BUY Vaseline, and this was not a smart helpful hint at all.

Vaseline (vas-i-leen) n ointment and lubricant obtained from petroleum.

Joe says helpful hints should now be told where to put the Vaseline.

Let this be a warning to all gardeners and rare fruity members never ever believe everything that you read. Joe has learnt this the hard way.

Tags:

Vaseline