The future for the rest of you

[Crazy Cutter]

Ash with chalara (advanced form of coppicing!?!)

Sorry if this has been covered before but this is now so big within Norfolk.......

A lot of you have this to come this tree is another mature roadside ash we felled today. Anyone within this country who has work to do on ash should really question whether they should leave it for a few years as 9 times out of 10 the work carried out will be a waste of time and money. I can say I haven't seen a healthy ash here for years and I'm guessing a 90% death rate as in Denmark. A visit to Dorset in October was not good for me as all the signs were present.

 

Thin crowns are usually the first sign very noticeable in Wessex, but also a mass of epicormics within the crown so it looks overcrowded can be the other extreme. Canker on the buds is now this year becoming very noticeable as the tree tries to heal itself. Many trees have twisted growth where the disease entered last summer. The tips will wilt and flatten before bud burst as though the life is being sucked out of the branch. Some trees particularly young ones have a huge primary bud which doesn't burst causing a fork. Growth on semi mature trees is only one to two inches per shoot with much epicormics. The wood over the years as the tree dies turns black as it rots usually with a stink and is not saleable as firewood.

 

This is big yet so under estimated!

[Crazy Cutter]

 

Sorry having all sorts problems getting the photos over. I have them in an album in my profile but getting tired now!

[Stubby]

I have had a look about from time to time over this last year and not seen any yet in West Sussex .

[Adam M]

Dorset surprises me as it seemed confined to the plantation to the west of Dorchester. Unsure if it was found further afield. Are you sure you aren't confusing dieback in mature trees relating to ploughing and other rooting area pressure with chalara? If it's in mature trees it should really be obvious in regen.

It's well established in Hampshire though so only a matter of time before its positively recorded in Dorset. It's in Sussex although there are a few gaps left to fill if you look at the FC map.

[Tilio-acerion]

We're still in the lag phase but once inoculum levels build up it'll be everywhere fast. Nothing is resistant, regen won't survive and long term health of even tolerant trees is on the decline.

[Crazy Cutter]

Dorset surprises me as it seemed confined to the plantation to the west of Dorchester. Unsure if it was found further afield. Are you sure you aren't confusing dieback in mature trees relating to ploughing and other rooting area pressure with chalara? If it's in mature trees it should really be obvious in regen.

It's well established in Hampshire though so only a matter of time before its positively recorded in Dorset. It's in Sussex although there are a few gaps left to fill if you look at the FC map.

 

This was Cranbourne trust me I have got my eye in now can spot a tree with one bud out of place. The Danes had told the manager the same the week before I did. Gary Battell from Suffolk CC has done a very good doc on this worth a look.

[Crazy Cutter]

We're still in the lag phase but once inoculum levels build up it'll be everywhere fast. Nothing is resistant, regen won't survive and long term health of even tolerant trees is on the decline.

 

The rings on our trees suggest infection in 2002 but have only showed signs within the last five years. Quite frankly the fc map is well off and they don't have enough qualified staff or staff in general. This does not need testing for you can see it. The Cranbourne trees were the standard trees in coppice woodland. The thinning crown will be the first thing you see not infection of small trees.

 

My concern is the apathy regarding this everyone bangs on about how bad Dutch elm was but this is so much bigger. It's also the fact that trained tree surgeons are missing it, come on this is our field this what we all do yet I'm regularly told 'I'm just not seeing it anywhere'! The only trees that will survive this are the resistant ones which show no signs to the un- trained eye we are on the hunt to try and find one.

[Tilio-acerion]

There isn't any resistant trees, that is what they've found on the continent. All trees are infected and just have different levels of disease tolerance. Yes I agree it's underestimmated by many.