Ash die back..

[SteveB43]

Hi,
I think general woodworking is a good place to start.. anyone else heard or had any experience with this disease, it sounds pretty nasty and UK could lose a fair chunk of it's Ash estate...

I'm in SE London, and the one large tree , in my garden, in fact in the street is an Ash...

(whispering quietly.. if the worst does happen and the tree is affected, I assume the wood would have to be cut up and burnt (bio-hazard, elfnsafety ) and it could'nt be planked and later turned into a rather fetching table and sideboard... ) that's why I'm whispering, the other half is quite fond of this tree..,
Any symptons too look out for?, I've seen what to check as regards the leaves , but as the tree is currently losing it's leaves, that indicator won't be around for long...The tree is probably 50 - 60 years old..

Cheers
Steve,

 

[Harbo]

I have a shrub that died back this late summer despite frequent watering.
Had it for about 10yrs - it's related to a tree species and just hope it isn't Ash?

Keep meaning to try and find its label?

Rod

 

[AndyT]

More info in this thread: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/ash-disease-t65267.html

 

[Peter029]

We have quite a lot of Ash woodland round us in the Chiltern area, it would be quite a significant effect on the landscape if it were to be removed.

I wonder if theres any oppertunity to get hold of some if it doesnt have to be burnt though.

 

[WellsWood]

Yes, been hearing about this for about a week now, very worrying. Ash apparently makes up about 30% of Britains woodlands, according to an item on R4 last week, so any significant infection is going to have pretty huge consequences.

 

[dickm]

Seems it's possibly a lot worse than was originally admitted. The first reports implied it was just a small area in East Anglia that was infected, but a report in today's Herald suggests there's a patch of woodland in the Central Belt that has already died from the fungus. Looks like someone was asleep on the job........

 

[Fivetide]

The report I saw on the TV on Sunday, said that actually the forestry commission had in fact imported ( cheap)infected saplings from abroad, although there is no test for it, it begs the question why they didn’t grow the saplings from UK stock? Another case of false economy in my opinion, it will cost them millions to put it right even if they only chop down every damn ash tree in the uk !! Bean counters for you !

 

[bugbear]

The Guardian has decent converage on this (their site also has some kind of helpful tagging thing);

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/ash-dieback

BugBear

 

[devonwoody]

Terrible year down here in our part of Devon, I must have pulled out at least 100 ash saplings that have germinated from ash seed flying around with the many high winds we had earlier in the year.
Neighbours gardens are similarly effected.

 

[gm11]

i am currently buying a house with around 38acres of mature woodland, a fair bit of it is ash. i called defra to see what the option's are. realy not good news all infected trees will be burnt and aboarder of trees not affected but near infection will have to go. it wont take much for it to get to the situation we had with elm, i remember that very well, so having taken advice i will fell all ash in the wood and plank it now while i can. i will replant with something else. many other wood owners will probally do the same, very sad situation that could of been avoided!

 

[RogerS]

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Symptoms ... h_2012.pdf is the link.

More worrying are reports from France that they claim to have seen lesions going much deeper into the wood than previously seen/anticipated. Which would suggest burning as the likely outcome.

Of more importance is why the ******didn't that dozy Labour Govt respond to the warning signals given to them on numerous occasions back in 2009?

Good article in the New Scientist here http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2 ... tml?page=2

 

[Nick Gibbs]

It's not very clear cut. The chances are that ash dieback has been with us for a few years. Its spread may be quite gradual, though inevitable. There certainly won't be many ash trees planted for a while. So far there are no restrictions on the movement of felled ash stems and timber. Infected young ash have to be deep buried or burnt on site. What happens to infected mature ash will be challenging, but the chances are the Forestry Commission may have to be pragmatic about this. Though there may be a temptation to fell healthy ash and replant with a more diverse mix, that may not be necessary. On the other hand we've heard reports from Europe (and are running a piece about Chalara in Germany in Living Woods soon), that says that infected stems can discolour quite quickly. I don't know if that really is the case.

The report that ash makes up 30% of British woodland is false. It is said to be the third most common broadleafed species in Britain but does not constitute 30% of our trees. In fact its loss may not be as obvious as some people expect, and possibly not as conspicuous as when we lost the iconic, hedgerow elm. The tragedy is that it is such a useful species, being superb for firewood and woodwork, and it regenerates so easily.

Nick

 

[Setch]

In fairness, I've heard several experts speculate that spores could very well have made it across the channel from europe, so imports are not the only potential problem. If that's the case it was just a matter of time anyway.

It's very sad, but it's nature proving it can be a mean ***** when it wants to be.

 

[Jake]

Of more importance is why the ***** didn't that dozy Labour Govt respond to the warning signals

Some other dozy Expletive deleted have been in for a while Roger, but I don't suppose you've noticed.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I suspect the story has proved so enticing for the media because there appeared to be such opportunity for blame. The government has been naive in not banning imports earlier, but probably more from a PR angle than actually stopping the disease. Few people know that larch, which is probably Britain's most useful softwood, is being destroyed by a disease of its own, as has been the case for a few years now. Nature is, indeed, a *****. We play with it at our peril.

Funnily enough, ash is probably one of the more under-used species. On BBC4's Tales from the Wild Wood tonight one of Britain's largest makers of handles (bats, tools, etc...) said that 80% of the ash they use is imported. That's because much of the ash in Britain is in neglected woodlands, and is of variable value and quality. There is lots of good ash, but the domestic market for it isn't that strong. Because it regenerates so well, it often grows awkwardly and isn't well managed. It is likely to be missed more by firewooders and green woodworkers than by timber merchants. The disease may help the woodfuel market in the short term, providing a cheaper source of firewood that doesn't need seasoning.

 

[RogerS]

Of more importance is why the ******didn't that dozy Labour Govt respond to the warning signals

Some other dozy ***** have been in for a while Roger, but I don't suppose you've noticed.

Maybe so. Fact remains. Labour were warned. They did nothing. Par for the course.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I expect there's quite little any government could do or have done about this, though delaying the ban of young ash was pretty unimaginative. I will ask around to see if there's ever been a tree disease that's been curtailed by action.

 

[RogerS]

..... I will ask around to see if there's ever been a tree disease that's been curtailed by action.

I think you might struggle to find one simply because all Govts, by definition, leave things until the last moment.

 

[bugbear]

I think you might struggle to find one simply because all Govts, by definition, leave things until the last moment.

That's a frankly bizarre statement, especially the "by definition" part; would you care to justify it?

BugBear

 

[RogerS]

I think you might struggle to find one simply because all Govts, by definition, leave things until the last moment.

That's a frankly bizarre statement, especially the "by definition" part; would you care to justify it?

BugBear

Just being my usual cynical self!