What to do with dying ash trees?

[sledneck22]

Haven’t seen a live ash tree in years here in wi. Took four down today for an elderly neighbor. Makes great firewood. 044 and 200T got work today.

 

[davidwyby]

Seem to be doing pretty good. All I did was cut the dead out. Maybe prune some more so they don’t look so goofy this winter.

 

[kevlarkondom]

Here in SE WI I do have some live ash but they are dying. Interestingly however, I am getting some young ash trees popping up. Also some young ones that got attacked. The dead ones all have the squiggly marks under the bark. Makes great firewood but sad to see them go.

Watch for canopy loss or thinning. It is another telltale sign.

 

[andyvt]

Here in SE WI I do have some live ash but they are dying. Interestingly however, I am getting some young ash trees popping up. Also some young ones that got attacked. The dead ones all have the squiggly marks under the bark. Makes great firewood but sad to see them go.

Watch for canopy loss or thinning. It is another telltale sign.

My county forester who is also my personal forester advised me to cut all the ash down now whether or not they are dying as he believes they all will die sooner or later.
There is a True Temper handle mill nearby tat has been paying top dollar for ash logs so any tree that meets their spec will be cut a sawlogs and the rest will go to firewood

 

[pwheel]

My county forester who is also my personal forester advised me to cut all the ash down now whether or not they are dying as he believes they all will die sooner or later...

This^^^. The USDA is working on EAB-resistant variants which may be the best solution.

 

[Ketchup]

This^^^. The USDA is working on EAB-resistant variants which may be the best solution.

They’re also working on blight resistant chestnut. I wouldn’t hold your breath.

The only thing that works is $200-500 (more for really big trees) whizzed up in a blender with single malt whiskey. Drill 3/4” holes at the root flares, roll up another Franklin into a funnel and pour it in during the Super Bowl half time show. The green beasties all fly off with your money bits looking for the nearest sports book.

@davidwyby, sorry I didn’t look closer when I was there. I agree it didn’t really look like EAB, but they barely looked like Ash trees. Desert trees are funky. The only bore holes I saw looked like Lilac borer (like the photo of the central bore hole) and wide head apple borer (the 1/4” exit holes, not the wood pecker holes). Both tend to attack trees with water stress. EAB treatment will kill all 3 (though it takes longer for Lilac borer because they live in the xylem). You have to have a chemical applicators license for the treatments that actually work. You can order imidacloprid treatments on line, but they don’t work very well long term. Treatments aren’t cheap, but trees are kind of rare where you live.

 

[davidwyby]

@Ketchup much as I like cuttin’ ‘em, I hate cuttin’ ‘em.

 

[davidwyby]

I saved one of my pines (for now) with imidacloprid n stuff but not the other. Deep watering, fertilizer, mycorrhizae…

 

[davidwyby]

Need the lift fixed so I can make those not look so goofy.

 

[Ketchup]

@Ketchup much as I like cuttin’ ‘em, I hate cuttin’ ‘em.

Not much sport in those two. Mercy killing.

But if it comes to that you can probably flop them both directly onto your trailer.

 

[davidwyby]

Not much sport in those two. Mercy killing.

But if it comes to that you can probably flop them both directly onto your trailer.

Sounds like “crazy cowboy shyt”! Who would do such a thing, @chiselbit ??

 

[Ketchup]

We’ve got a game we call Bucket Darts. The groundie starts up the chipper, then the guy in the bucket snap cuts 10-15’ tops and tries to chuck them into the feed wheels. It’s actually quite difficult.

I’m hoping to set up something similar with a target for our “Golden Biscuit” tree comp in June. Lawn Darts on steroids. Half the fun of tree work is RedNeckery.

 

[Kerfed]

@Ketchup much as I like cuttin’ ‘em, I hate cuttin’ ‘em.

My daily thoughts right there.

 

[davidwyby]

We’ve got a game we call Bucket Darts. The groundie starts up the chipper, then the guy in the bucket snap cuts 10-15’ tops and tries to chuck them into the feed wheels. It’s actually quite difficult.

I’m hoping to set up something similar with a target for our “Golden Biscuit” tree comp in June. Lawn Darts on steroids. Half the fun of tree work is RedNeckery.

Amen.
Someone sent this to me and said they wrote a song about me.