Hi

Yes I was told 50/60 years is a good age for the tree , as they start dying back etc , also a concern the trunk rots from within something to keep a eye on

So maybe comng to the end of its life? Might add some bonemeal after flowering?

I am sure it would appreciate a feed , and we did have dry spring but that has changed now

Thanks gnarly gnome. :)

As a shotgun treatment, get a big clean paint bucket--5 gallon in the States, but I don't know what the metric equivalent is...maybe a 20 liter?--an old nylon stocking, an aquarium aerator kit, some good living compost, and about 60 ml of molasses (treacle?), and mix up a good 48 hour compost tea. Distribute that evenly around the drip line of the tree and water it in well. That will stimulate the roots, stimulate earthworms, stimulate the plant's immune system, chelate nutrients, and help remove toxins from the tissues of the tree. It's not a panacea, but it will help the tree throw off and/or avoid many common problems.

Wow! I'd better get shopping! What a concoction, it sounds like a magic potion! Thank you for your suggestion.

Just asking, how does the aquarium aerator kit fit in?

Amsterdam they do occasionally have a reduced show of flowers this may be because they were stressed by drought the previous summer, or they are in need of a feed, most of ours have had no feed or watering. I do trim the dead branches off only and the ones in the long border had six inches of well rotted horse manure for the last two years and watering as they are in a border with lots of plants that need more tlc but I can't say they do any better than those left to nature.

They do age and are listed as trees that don't have relatively long lives but I think ours are around 50-60 years old and don't really often have long hot summers because of our location in the North of the country.

Fill the bucket with water. Drop the bubbler or airstone of the aerator into the bucket, near the edge of the bottom. Fill the stocking with compost, and hang it in the water on the opposite edge. Run the aerator for the next 24 to 48 hours--the longer the better.
The resulting brown to black "tea" is full of assorted humates, plus a wide variety of beneficial soil bacteria and fungi. You can get the same effect by spreading compost on the soil twice a year, and that is the best way to prevent problems, but this is a good quick fix. The more enlightened public gardens here in the States use it--on an industrial scale--as a more aesthetic way to repair and maintain the soil. Commercially prepared "humic acid" is somewhat similar, and much more convenient, but can't contain most of the living components.