Ash die-back

[GAM]

I was having a walk around our farm yesterday, I realised that we have very few mature trees, the odd large Oak here and there, and was devastated to see how much ash-die back we have, the landscape is going to drastically change in the next couple of years!!

 

[gatepost]

Yes agreed, the majority of our trees are ash, and most have been shedding limbs for a while now, going to look very different.

 

[Happy]

Yes, loads of it about when you start looking.
The mature trees seem to be less affected than the younger ones with me but maybe just that they will take a bit more time to succumb to it.
Pretty much an equal split between ash, oak & plane trees in these parts so definitely a big landscape change when they go

 

[Muddyroads]

Lots of ash trees around here, and an awful lot of them are starting to die if you look for it. Such a shame to see, and something which many people seem to be unaware of. Going to be a lot of work for tree surgeons just now, bringing affected ones down safely.

 

[Bertram]

Also in Devon, 95% are now dead or dying. Really sad.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

So if you plant new ones now do they become infected fairly quickly?

 

[Pond digger]

Perhaps you should all be gathering the seed from any survivors, and planting it out?

 

[primmiemoo]

Western Power were attending to trees here this year, and the workmen said they hadn't seen any die back on the area of the holding they'd been working in.

They had seen signs of drought stress from last year and last winter, though, which was what I'd seen and was worried that it was die back. The symptoms of die back are more obvious than I'd thought.

 

[britt]

Ash trees have always been notorious for dropping limbs and going rotten inside, so we are steadily felling all on the roadsides. Planting them on roadsides or near footpaths was always a bad idea.
We have had a couple over the last 2 years showing signs of dieback, which got priority.
It is the best for firewood though, every cloud...…….. !

 

[kill]

Western Power were attending to trees here this year, and the workmen said they hadn't seen any die back on the area of the holding they'd been working in.

They had seen signs of drought stress from last year and last winter, though, which was what I'd seen and was worried that it was die back. The symptoms of die back are more obvious than I'd thought.

The die back is very noticeable due to a mould type substance dotted up over the wood of younger growth.

 

[betternextyear]

I dont want to mention the Br**it thing , but I remember the forestry commision pleading with the government to stop the importation of diseased ash trees from European nurseries but they refused due to EU trade regulations. It wouldnt have stopped die back but it would have given us more time to come up with a solution.

 

[renewablejohn]

Perhaps you should all be gathering the seed from any survivors, and

Where is this elusive tree I have not seen one as yet.

 

[renewablejohn]

I dont want to mention the Br**it thing , but I remember the forestry commision pleading with the government to stop the importation of diseased ash trees from European nurseries but they refused due to EU trade regulations. It wouldnt have stopped die back but it would have given us more time to come up with a solution.

My memory is a bit different with the forestry commision being the culprits allowing infected imported stocks to be used in planting schemes in preference to home grown healthy stock. Even when the infected stock was identified the forestry commission policy was one of monitor rather than slash and burn. By the time they realised the error of there ways the genii was out the bottle and the rest is history.

 

[renewablejohn]

So if you plant new ones now do they become infected fairly quickly?

In an infected area they will be dead within 5 years.

 

[betternextyear]

My memory is a bit different with the forestry commision being the culprits allowing infected imported stocks to be used in planting schemes in preference to home grown healthy stock. Even when the infected stock was identified the forestry commission policy was one of monitor rather than slash and burn. By the time they realised the error of there ways the genii was out the bottle and the rest is history.

Yes you are right it was concerned employees of the FC who whistle blew. I remember someone coming on radio4 and explaining how useless the authorities were. And how Defra added to the cockup by being even more useless

 

[DartmoorEwe]

We planted lots of ash several years ago and probably introduced dieback with our efforts. This summer we went round the farm hedges marking suspects and we've now felled them and more with the disease. The sooner they are down, the sooner the other trees in the hedges will fill the gaps and if we're wrong then they can regrow from their bases even stronger. Have hope for one standard, looking like a healthy jewel in a web of affected hedges. The only bright side is that ash spreads like a weed around here (in tree time) so hopefully survivors will repopulate the hedges in due course - not in my lifetime though.

 

[Exfarmer]

Acrually the first infected trees i; the country were found locally on a planting scheme undertaken by the Suffolk wildlife trust.
It was a couple of miles from a tree nursery which went bust a few years ago thanks to imported trees.
We never learn, in the UK we could certainly have banned the importation of all trees on health grounds. 50 years ago the UK was widely recognised across the world as having some of the highest plant and animal health standards.
This has all been chucked away for what? Free trade?

 

[Tubbylew]

Saplings are full of it here, really sad. Could never understand why people felt the need to import something that up to now has grown pretty rampant, suppose thats economics for you.

 

[wanton dwarf]

Saplings are full of it here, really sad. Could never understand why people felt the need to import something that up to now has grown pretty rampant, suppose thats economics for you.

I bet it's UK tax payer money being spent in Europe .. it's like a disease in HMG, gotta keep persecuting the native population.

Conservatives are now trying to steal the Green, Labour & Liberal environmental "Thunder" .. I would have thought some careful orchistration could see the whole "Envrionmental" movement discredited and all the dead wood removed - would save the UK £Billions.

 

[penntor]

Have lots of ash here, several in my lane down to the yard, big standard trees about 3ft in diameter. All showing signs of dieback to varying degrees. Lane is going to look very different in the next few years. Also a lot of ash trees in the hedges around the fields, most currently showing signs of dieback, very sad.