Chalara fraxinea - Generic thread

[monkey]

i understand the nursery industry is trying to combat this outbreak - but what of contractors like me being part of the problem? who disinfects there machinery after contact with diseased trees, and how do you do it? last time i had to disinfect we used a fine spray methylated sprit disinfectant on the chipper. Any one who like to add to this method?

[Watercourse management]

Nothing to do with farming practices,this bit of land has never seen a plough for over thirty years if not more it was planted as a woodland as it was a small meadow among large fields.so no blame on the farmers plough for this one.

[Jon Heuch]

Quite a few years ago, pre-Chalara, there was a study of die back in ash. I think it was conducted by Oxford University. It was suggested, if I recall correctly, that the reasons for the die back were to do with farming practices, particularly ploughing right up to the trees. The worst area in the country for the die back was around Newport Pagnell.

 

Commonwealth Forestry Institute (CFI) Occasional Paper No 24 by Dick (R.G.) Pawsey Ash Dieback Survey

 

Radcliffe Science Library | Oxford Digital Library for Forestry

 

Follow the links (it's not immediately obvious which links) and you can download it from the Bodleian.

[Welshfred]

Getting it bad in west wales now. Just back from a drive through llanwnen, llanllwni, brechfa, nantgaredig. Very bad, really horrible to see. In my woodland there seem only a few trees that are unaffected as yet.

Does anyone have any info on how the larger branches break down? I plan to leave a lot standing for ecological value but have concerns about safety near tracks. Ash which died of other causes up to 10 years ago still have good standing inner crown structure but chalara seems to make the twiggy growth very brittle. How does this translate to larger branches im wondering? Any thoughts?

Cheers...

[David Humphries]

As a reflection of the distribution, I witnessed chalara on my travels last week at 3 seperate sites across the south and east of the U.K.

 

Where I work at an open space in north London,

 

 

At the 800 year old continuous coppice of Bradfield woods near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

 

 

 

and on the chalk down lands of Lyscombe and Highdon in Dorset whilst on an ATF field trip.

 

 

 

.........depressing

 

 

 

[Gary Prentice]

We're probably a few years behind you up here, but this year it's taking off.

 

It's currently only apparent on self set saplings, coppice and other regen growth, but it's widespread.  Last weekend I was on sites in St Helens and Macclesfield and noted it on both and travelling between.  It's certainly going to change the landscape.

[Nimby]

I was walking around the hills Settle, North Yorkshire, earlier this spring and all (and I mean all) the areas of Ash regen were affected.  

[Mark Wileman]

Picture of an Ash on my boundary, a lot of crown dieback compared to nearby trees.

 

I'm going to give it another couple of weeks to see if it decides to start growing then give it a climbing inspection.

 

If this is dieback, will doing a reduction back to main areas of epicormic prolong it's life/stop the spread of infection to other trees?

[Gary Prentice]

I think the spores will already have spread from last years leaves.

[westphalian]

I’ve been trying to gen up on this as I have it in my woods. As far as I can make out from F.C. it’s a waste of time. Only remove branches/trees that pose a danger to public