‘A Lot Of Malta’s Trees That Die Are Due To Lack Of Maintenance’: Horticulturalist Peter Calleja
A leading Maltese horticulturalist who often consults the government on projects concerning trees has said that the main cause of dying trees that he’s personally encountered in Malta is a lack of maintenance.
Lovin Malta exclusively spoke with Peter Calleja, a horticulturist with almost half a century of experience working with trees under his belt. With 45 years of experience working with trees, Calleja is one of the most informed men on the subject on the islands.
“The majority of trees that I overlook would have died due to a lack of maintenance,” Calleja told Lovin Malta when asked what the main cause is in his experience.
“I find a lot of trees that would not be cared for when I go out to check,” he said. “Sometimes I find a lot of trees that would be stolen.”
He detailed how these trees would normally be Casuarina or Eucalyptus, which do not typically have a long life. And in many cases, wood-boring insects are also to blame, which tend to flock towards trees that would already be under stress.
“A tree can fall over any time, it’s not cemented to the ground, and within certain trees, the inside gets eaten, and we don’t notice it until it’s too late. That’s one of the main reasons, certain types of woodboring insects.”
The government has often been under heat for removing trees that seemed healthy, with the most recent controversy being over mature trees that were removed between Fgura and Żabbar. Calleja confirmed that those trees had to be removed due to some of them being dead due to a number of reasons, such as lack of maintenance and finding out about wood-boring insects too late.
“There’s no other way for it to be treated, if it’s not caught at an early stage then it cannot be saved – and it’s my responsibility to remove these trees.”
“So then you have to take the decision to see whether the tree will be uprooted or not, and sometimes I’m in a dilemma. I spend a night thinking about it – It’s no joke to make the decision that a tree is to be uprooted.”
Speaking on the decisions he takes regarding certain trees, Calleja said that his main priority is always safety – even if the decision seems detrimental to the tree in question.
“My priority is always safety – firstly, safety for the general public and secondly, any buildings in the vicinity,” he said.
“You can’t save trees which are impacting the road, it is dangerous if you root prune. And when the cars are passing on the road, it trembles slightly,” he explained.
He also explained how back in the 70s, a lot of trees were being planted in a way where the roots would not have any space to anchor, thus leading to problems much later on.
“In the 70s they had started planting a lot of trees, such as acacia mimosa, and eucalyptus, and they used to just put a lot of soil on the tarmac and make holes with a jigger.”
In this case, “the tree won’t have where to anchor, so after many years pass, it starts and won’t have proper anchorage, so it will be knocked down with a gust of wind”.
Regardless, Calleja assured that apart from ensuring the safety of society, he’s committed to making sure that all possible avenues have been explored before ordering the uproot of a tree.
“I’m a man of the trees at the end of the day.”
Check out Lovin Malta’s Lowdown on the latest tree controversy down below:
What do you make of this information?
READ NEXT: Safi's New Ta' Ġawhar Dog Park And Picnic Area: A Green Space For All
