Stuff growing on my car from the trees?

Keltik THC · 27 Feb 2010 at 14:39

Ok, so I'm a first time car owner, and since buying the car it has been stuck at the bottom of my driveway due to the Arctic weather conditions up here in the north of Scotland... has been about 2 feet of snow since Christmas.

I went out to start my cars engine this morning to stop seals from seizing up etc.. i noticed that my car is covered in green stuff! and the bonnet has a black like bacteria looking stuff growing up it.

Its only been there for about a month!

just wondered if this is from the trees? or what?

Anything i can do to prevent this happening, or should i buy a car cover?

the green stuff seems to come off pretty easily but the black stuff on the bonnet seems to require elbow grease to be removed.

Its just a pain because it was spotless about a month ago and i haven't driven it since.

uv · 27 Feb 2010 at 14:43

The black stuff is sap, it should come off quite easily with a decent de-greaser. The green stuff is just lichen, I've got it on my wingmirrors too

NickXX · 27 Feb 2010 at 14:55

The green stuff comes off easily with a jet wash.

Biohazard · 27 Feb 2010 at 14:56

don't park it under a tree

Keltik THC · 27 Feb 2010 at 15:03

Biohazard said:
don't park it under a tree

well that would mean moving house or chopping down some trees, neither which i am inclined to do

!

thanks for the advice guys, i assumed it was from the trees, my house is surrounded by them - i guess a car cover is the easiest option.

Begbie · 27 Feb 2010 at 15:41

Biohazard said:
don't park it under a tree

That easy eh

Had same problem at the rents. Car always looked manky.

bmi92 · 27 Feb 2010 at 18:34

Get a car cover?

godinman · 27 Feb 2010 at 18:41

uv said:
The green stuff is just lichen, I've got it on my wingmirrors too

Pedantic but lichen grows at a maximum rate of 500mm per year (only certain varieties, usually more like 150mm or even 0.5mm sometimes), seriously doubt this is the stuff that's growing on your car.

What's wrong with me?!

Dogbreath · 27 Feb 2010 at 22:27

If you leave it long enough you get snails eating the sap and they leave nice patterns all over it

Lum · 28 Feb 2010 at 18:14

On the subject of car covers, are there any recommendations ie ones that aren't going to scratch your paintwork.

My neighbour has a bird feeder right next to my driveway and I'm sick of cleaning my car of output of bird. It's only going to get worse with the impending company car too.

MeAnBoY · 28 Feb 2010 at 18:20

Hehe on the same note i drive past a manky old box shape escort on the way to work in the mornings, looks like it's covered in moss. The realy genius bit is a sheet of A4 stuck the inside winscreen warning "NOT for sale"

Steve2000 · 28 Feb 2010 at 18:39

Fling a tarpaulin over your car, then just was it down with a jet hose every now and again.

mjt · 28 Feb 2010 at 18:58

Our E60 has green stuff growing between the windows and the awesome SE chrome surrounds, which I have discovered come off with remarkable ease..

men8ifr · 2 Mar 2010 at 22:18

My previous car a white peugeot 405 usually had a white/green mottled roof