Ash dieback - Different perspective?

[Steven P]

This tree was named tree of the year.

[Steven P]

This topic is as good as any, was passing through looking for recommendations what to replace ash trees with, got about 10 to 12 dead / nearly dead in the wood and the other half suffering - thoughts are this winter to clear the brambles and remove the dead ones, to replace them with something else one for one, not sure what yet. Remove and replace the others as and when, gives a more phased removal and replanting.

 

Self seeded ash, hawthorn and holly thrive in the wood, was thinking to stay away from ash for a few years, the rest of the wood is a mix of pines. Silver birch grows well just down the road. First thought is a birch as a replacement.

 

This part of the wood is screening to the neighbours, quicker growing rather than slower growing would work.

 

What does anyone else think?

[sime42]

13 minutes ago, Steven P said:

This topic is as good as any, was passing through looking for recommendations what to replace ash trees with, got about 10 to 12 dead / nearly dead in the wood and the other half suffering - thoughts are this winter to clear the brambles and remove the dead ones, to replace them with something else one for one, not sure what yet. Remove and replace the others as and when, gives a more phased removal and replanting.

 

Self seeded ash, hawthorn and holly thrive in the wood, was thinking to stay away from ash for a few years, the rest of the wood is a mix of pines. Silver birch grows well just down the road. First thought is a birch as a replacement.

 

This part of the wood is screening to the neighbours, quicker growing rather than slower growing would work.

 

What does anyone else think?

 

Rowan, Bird Cherry, Crab/Wild Apple, Sycamore?

 

 

[Steven P]

Never thought of bird cherry - that might go in the mix near the road side with silver birch, that would work with sycamore further from the road. 

 

 

Tried a few types of apples a few years ago till I disturbed a very fat looking deer sleeping under its supper, however there is a sea of brambles for protection now.

[Stubby]

I have been studying ( looking at ) a row of 15 relatively young ash . about 20/25 feet high between 15 and 18 inches at the fat end . These trees showed differing signs of die back when it first became news worthy . Over the last four years I have noticed a steady recovery to the extent that the ones that showed very little die back now show none and the others very little . 

[Mick Dempsey]

I was back in the uk recently and took a walk around the woods where I used to wander with my jack russell Pirate 50 years ago.

Mostly overstood hornbeam coppice in steep ghylls with streams at the bottom, with oak and ash in between.

I was shocked at the dead ash mostly standing but a lot collapsed on the ground exposing the forest floor to light it hadn’t received for a long time.

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Mick Dempsey

[BillQ]

The council have taken down lots of ash showing signs near roads and footpaths locally and I'm indebted to the ground crew etc for leaving a lot just lying. They took the trunks mainly leaving lots of limbs and gnarly bits. Happily I have around 2 winters worth now.

Lots of habitat created by the smaller branches and also the dying self seeded saplings which are slowly collapsing. 

[Steven P]

4 hours ago, Stubby said:

I have been studying ( looking at ) a row of 15 relatively young ash . about 20/25 feet high between 15 and 18 inches at the fat end . These trees showed differing signs of die back when it first became news worthy . Over the last four years I have noticed a steady recovery to the extent that the ones that showed very little die back now show none and the others very little . 

 

Yes, I'd read that too, am not much of a climber just now else I would be chopping the dead bits off the affected trees to try to slow the spread, have the view to leave them till they are dead and then remove them as this:

 

3 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I was shocked at the dead ash mostly standing but a lot collapsed on the ground exposing the forest floor to light it hadn’t received for a long time.

 

 

my wood has too much shade and cover - another project to take out a lot of the dead stuff and let light reach the ground for some natural regeneration and growth. Will be adding some replacement trees in to help things along though.

 

Of course, like BillQ, nowhere apart from the stove for the dead wood to go to.