Chalara fraxinea - Generic thread

[john k]

chalara thins the whole crown leaving vast numbers of buds un opened.

That's what it looks like to me too, but I haven't managed to find any reference to this anywhere else. I had to actually go looking for a healthy ash tree today to remind myself what it should look like!

[Peasgood]

100% chalara.Tree to right in picture is classic thin crown we are now in June trees should be in full leaf. You will not find diamonds on anything other than a sapling. I have seen one un affected tree in the whole of Norfolk.

 

You can only find one healthy Ash tree in Norfolk? That's a bit dramatic.

 

If the trees in my pic are showing the advanced stages of crown thinning from Chalara how come I can't find an infected sapling and so many young trees here look in perfect health?

I'm not arguing, I am genuinely asking. The trees I am talking about are on my farm, 90 acres in Cheshire and just random wild saplings. Plenty of them.

[Jim B]

You can only find one healthy Ash tree in Norfolk? That's a bit dramatic.

 

If the trees in my pic are showing the advanced stages of crown thinning from Chalara how come I can't find an infected sapling and so many young trees here look in perfect health?

I'm not arguing, I am genuinely asking. The trees I am talking about are on my farm, 90 acres in Cheshire and just random wild saplings. Plenty of them.

 

Because this has hit our mature trees without anyone noticing, I have ring samples for Norfolk showing first infection in 2002 and possibly 1997 but the symptoms on young trees only appeared in 2008 ish. The thinning crowns are far more important than the diamonds look back through this thread. The report by WCMT and one by Gary Battell SCC very important that you look. And yes only one ash with with a full in damaged crown in not an under statement. In France the survivors can be up to 5 km apart.

[john k]

Here are links to those two:

 

http://www.wcmt.org.uk/sites/default/files/report-documents/Alsop%20J%20Report%202014.pdf

 

http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/assets/suffolk.gov.uk/Environment%20and%20Transport/Environment/Chalara%20-%20On%20the%20front%20line.pdf

[Jim B]

Another observation beware when felling these ash even when hardly infected. I am finding the hinge will fail or shear if trying to fell other than with the lean. Before you could fell ash around corners of any size and the hinge would hold strength has been lost and they will no longer barber chair.

[skyhuck]

Excellent stuff John you are right on all fronts. It is dire here and the prediction is now a 5% survival rate so basically if you haven't got it you will have and as bad as here. The most obvious symptom are the thin crowns I've had years of people trying to tell me it's drought. Drought dieback starts at the top and works down as in stagheaded oak, chalara thins the whole crown leaving vast numbers of buds un opened. It's not just the public the tree professional should be taking far more of an interest. The forestry sector is far more clued up on this than the tree surgeon which is a very sorry state of affairs. Get out of your truck on the way home everybody and goddamn look!

 

:001_huh:Calm down dear.

 

What is accomplished by identifying more diseased trees? Action should only be taken once they are dead, or trees with the ability to survive will be lost.

[Jim B]

:001_huh:Calm down dear.

 

What is accomplished by identifying more diseased trees? Action should only be taken once they are dead, or trees with the ability to survive will be lost.

 

I just knew you would get involved. Thanks arbtalk see you around.

[Peasgood]

Having looked at those links (thanks for posting them) I am more inclined to think it is dieback I have here.

The picture on page 15 of the Suffolk Council report is pretty much exactly what happened with the tree the top fell out of. That particular tree first showed signs that all was not well with it long before dieback hit the news. I'd say it could easy be 10 years back.

It looks as healthy as anything now.

[the village idiot]

Have just been marking up a woodland compartment for thinnning in Suffolk. It is very Ash heavy and I would estimate that at least 70% of the Ash trees are showing distinct signs of dieback.

[skyhuck]

Up here in the northwest I can't say I've seen any.