Roots of Death

Yesterday I removed branches from our Japanese privet, then I carefully carried the branches to our brush pile in the woods, making sure that they didn’t touch any other plants or trees as I carried them - even though the disease isn’t carried in the leaves or branches I didn’t want to take any chances. Then I dug the roots up and put them in a large plastic garbage bag, tying the bag tightly and putting it in our garbage container. I made sure that I got all the roots, including small pieces. I checked the soil multiple times to ensure there were no remaining roots or pieces of roots...no matter how small.

Then I disinfected the shovel and loppers I used. Then I disinfected my gloves.

You see our privet has black root rot, a disease that is incurable. It manifested itself when sections of the privet starting turning brown and dying. I took clippings of the plant to the county extension service for analysis and they gave me the bad news. While the disease doesn’t infect all types of plants, it does infect boxwood - since we have boxwood ten feet from the privet I need to be careful when I move the privet debris.

The extension agent was emphatic that any tools used in the removal process must be sanitized with Lysol or they would transmit the disease to other plants and soil. The soil the privet was planted in should be sanitized - he gave us the names of some products to use.

While not all privet is susceptible to black root rot, Japanese privet is susceptible and the extension service does not recommend planting it. Our privet has been fine for years, whoever planted it didn’t know its susceptibility to the disease, and for years it was healthy; but now it must be eradicated and other plants must be protected from it. Things that look good may not always be good, and things that look good may carry inherent dangers.

Are there things in my life that are diseased? Are there roots that ought to be dug out, soil that should be sanitized? Are there things in my life that can carry disease into the lives of others? What is in my mind? My heart? What do my words carry?

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23 - 24