How to identify weak ash to cull?

[Megunticook]

I manage 5+ acres of hardwood on my Maine property. About 17% is white ash. Emerald Ash Borer has recently been spotted in Maine and although the closest reported infestation is about 80 miles away, I expect in the coming years we'll see it here.

Following guidance from Maine Forest Service, I've started identifying and felling some of the weaker individual trees. The ones where bark is falling off the trunk or peppered with woodpecker holes are a no-brainer. But what are other surefire signs that an ash tree is either dead, ailing, or near the end of its life? It's winter now so I can't go by foliage.

And what else should I be doing to prepare? I'm resigned to losing some trees but would like not to have the stand decimated.

 

[woodfarmer]

Unfortunately there is not much you can do nice it starts. Remove the large marketable trees for lumber.

 

[Skeans]

If you guys really want to stop the problem kill the food source by clear cutting every last stick of ash and spraying the stumps so it doesn’t regenerate.


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[Megunticook]

If you guys really want to stop the problem kill the food source by clear cutting every last stick of ash and spraying the stumps so it doesn’t regenerate.


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If I clearcut my stand it's not going to "stop the problem"--there are millions more ash trees in Maine and EAB is not going away anytime soon. What I can do is prepare my own stand as best I can to withstand EAB when it comes. The worst case scenario is that every last ash tree on my property dies--if I clearcut now I've just created the worst-case scenario.

Another scenario is that EAB doesn't infect my stand--not likely from what I hear but possible. More likely, several years from now it shows up and devastates my stand but a handful of trees survive (there's evidence that some white ash trees have a genetic resistance to EAB).

But back to the original question of this thread: how do I identify the unhealthy trees?

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Unless you get them treated, they will all be unhealthy real soon. It doesn't matter how healthy or unhealthy the tree is, EAB will get into it without any problem.

You can see unhealthy trees visually, but it doesn't really matter. Missing bark, large wounds, lack of a full canopy.

 

[uniballer]

But back to the original question of this thread: how do I identify the unhealthy trees?

Aside from visible damage (bark, rot, root damage, etc.), fungus signaling rot, and noting that V-shaped forks are weaker than U-shaped forks or T-shaped branchings, there isn't much else to see without foliage.

To me the issue is how to decide if you are going to begin treating some of your ash trees, and if so how to identify the best ones to treat.

For the last 4 years I have been treating 3 ash trees in my yard that my wife and I picked to keep. Imidicloprid soil drench is working so far. We are starting to see serious crown thinning on some of our other ash now so I removed all of the ash trees closest to the house and barn. The trees further away in the woods are on their own.

 

[Skeans]

If I clearcut my stand it's not going to "stop the problem"--there are millions more ash trees in Maine and EAB is not going away anytime soon. What I can do is prepare my own stand as best I can to withstand EAB when it comes. The worst case scenario is that every last ash tree on my property dies--if I clearcut now I've just created the worst-case scenario.

Another scenario is that EAB doesn't infect my stand--not likely from what I hear but possible. More likely, several years from now it shows up and devastates my stand but a handful of trees survive (there's evidence that some white ash trees have a genetic resistance to EAB).

But back to the original question of this thread: how do I identify the unhealthy trees?

How do you create a worse scenario? You still have live timber for saw logs vs low grade or pulp or worse yet firewood. The best thing is to cull everything wait a rotation and try Ash again. We deal with a lot of the same issues here with Douglas for the biggest thing is to quit feeding the problem to even stop the problem to start with.

If you’re dead set on the wait and see method get your self a core sampler and drill the heart of every tree.


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[Derrinx]

This is a sore topic for me. My house's ash trees were decimated westchester county NY. Such a shame to see these great trees ruined by an invader. Cut them down. Use the rest for firewood. There's not much to be done save for expensive root sourced insecticides.

 

[uniballer]

BTW - decimated means 1 in 10 killed. That's 10%. EAB kills 100% of untreated trees, or very close to it. USDA APHIS EAB

As far as I know the Penn State study showed 13 ash trees surviving out of 1762 after 5 years (2012 - 2017). Not sure how many of those have died since.

 

[Derrinx]

BTW - decimated means 1 in 10 killed. That's 10%. EAB kills 100% of untreated trees, or very close to it. USDA APHIS EAB

Correct

 

[farmer steve]

We have EAB here. Not sure why but smaller trees don't show EAB damage and a few larger ones don't either. Back to the OPs question. Look at the canopy and you can see a lot of the very small branches have died and fallen off. Just larger branches remain. Look for a fungus at the base of the tree. A good sign it is dieing. I know you don't want to cut healthy trees but with EAB they won't be anything but firewood soon. Non dead ash trees are bring a premium in the market around here. One other thing to do is wait for leaf out in the spring and mark unhealthy trees for cutting next winter. Good luck.

 

[Megunticook]

Thanks everyone. I should've clarified, I'm not looking to get commercial sawlogs out of my stand, I manage strictly for my own firewood plus the general long-term health of the stand (species diversity, variety of ages, overall vigor).

I probably need to resign myself to the reality that EAB will come eventually, and when it does every last ash on my property will die.

For now I'll take predominantly ash for firewood each winter, starting with the weakest individuals, and wait and see. If EAB shows up in my county maybe then I'll get more drastic.

I suppose I should be glad that ash only comprises 17% of my woods. If I lost all my Red Oak, that would really be catastrophic.

 

[MtbIdaho]

If you guys really want to stop the problem kill the food source by clear cutting every last stick of ash and spraying the stumps so it doesn’t regenerate.


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Ash isn’t a stump sprouter

 

[MtbIdaho]

If I clearcut my stand it's not going to "stop the problem"--there are millions more ash trees in Maine and EAB is not going away anytime soon. What I can do is prepare my own stand as best I can to withstand EAB when it comes. The worst case scenario is that every last ash tree on my property dies--if I clearcut now I've just created the worst-case scenario.

Another scenario is that EAB doesn't infect my stand--not likely from what I hear but possible. More likely, several years from now it shows up and devastates my stand but a handful of trees survive (there's evidence that some white ash trees have a genetic resistance to EAB).

But back to the original question of this thread: how do I identify the unhealthy trees?

I used to be a forester in the great state of Maine (a long time ago). I remember the state forest service was super helpful, I bet one of the state foresters would do a site visit.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Ash isn’t a stump sprouter

Disagree. I have an ash stump out back that is still sending up sprouts and I cut it 3 years ago. I have to cut them off every time I mow. I keep the stump because it's a good seat by my fire pit.

The ash that get the borer send up srpouts from the base of the tree after the top is dead.

 

[MtbIdaho]

Disagree. I have an ash stump out back that is still sending up sprouts and I cut it 3 years ago. I have to cut them off every time I mow. I keep the stump because it's a good seat by my fire pit.

The ash that get the borer send up srpouts from the base of the tree after the top is dead.

I stand corrected. I used to work in the northeast. The major stump sprout species were poplar and beech. I guess I never noticed ash do it.

 

[MtbIdaho]

I stand corrected. I used to work in the northeast. The major stump sprout species were poplar and beech. I guess I never noticed ash do it.

And Red Maple

 

[ChuckMI]

Ash decays slowly. Ir will still be good firewood several years after it dies, loses the bark, and falls. Cut ash exclusively for your firewood from now on.

 

[3jakes]

I manage 5+ acres of hardwood on my Maine property. About 17% is white ash. Emerald Ash Borer has recently been spotted in Maine and although the closest reported infestation is about 80 miles away, I expect in the coming years we'll see it here.

Following guidance from Maine Forest Service, I've started identifying and felling some of the weaker individual trees. The ones where bark is falling off the trunk or peppered with woodpecker holes are a no-brainer. But what are other surefire signs that an ash tree is either dead, ailing, or near the end of its life? It's winter now so I can't go by foliage.

And what else should I be doing to prepare? I'm resigned to losing some trees but would like not to have the stand decimated.

Been going through it here.
Heartbreaking.
Look for adult trees that have sent up side shoots from midway up the trunks.
The canopy has died, but there was still some life in the trunk.

 

[Marine5068]

Unfortunately every Ash tree will be affected by EAB. There is no stopping them.
Quick fact. The emerald ash borer likely arrived in North America on wood packaging materials in the early 1990s. First detected near Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario in 2002, the beetle has spread to more than 30 states and 5 provinces since then.
It's killed over 100,000,000 trees and shows no sign of stopping.