Any ideas whats wrong with this Ash tree?

[MATTMOSS]

its a good explanation

[MATTMOSS]

Insect attack is something I often over look unless its absolutly obvious, its important to keep an open mind

[shillo]

Yep, had me stumped too. With no obvious changes to the surrounding area and only a very minor road near it.

 

The deformed epicormic did make me think weed killer poisoning, but i couldnt see how any of the neighbours would have gained anything. The grass was healthy all round the base. I did look for evidence of stem injections but couldnt see anything.

 

I had put it down to water related stress similar to the sycamores and beech. I have never seen a moth eaten tree before. I have seen insect damage but only on isolated limbs not the whole tree and even the basal shoots have been eaten. I did prune a twig from the crown and it just looked like a winter twig. No obvious evidence of insect damage. Does the moth eat the leaf or the actual bud before flush?

 

 

Once again, Thanks Tony

[slack ma girdle]

Alot of the Ash trees around here have alread started to shed their leaves.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

just the leaves, they even leave the petioles alone which drop off eventualy as the shoots re flush

[HCR]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/17559-brownheaded-ash-sawfly.html maybe?

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/tree-health-care/17559-brownheaded-ash-sawfly.html maybe?

 

would explain why the defoliation is so extreme.

[HCR]

It's a testament to just how good this site is - I Googled the ash sawfly and the best result was Arbtalk!

[armybloke]

Have you considered pigeons? I have two trees on my patch desimated by the blighters! Look at the leaflets and if they have a small 'V' shape you can be sure it is the lovely, well -loved and coveted pigeon. Don't dismiss this - I did at my peril. Evidence was made available and then I sat tight and watched them defoliate an Ash!