Ash is Dropping It's Leaves

[mary]

Help!! One of my ash trees is dropping it's new leaves. The leaves are green and they're dropping like crazy. I don't remember this ever happening other years and I don't want to lose the tree. It's in the front yard and shades the house beautifully. Any suggestions?

 

[treeseer]

Any suggestions?

Post pictures; we can't see anything from here.

 

[mary]

Ash is Dropping Leaves

I'll see if I can borrow a digital camera for pictures.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

You can also use a regular camera. When you have the pictures developed, ask them to put them on a CD.

 

[mary]

Thanks.

 

[NYCHA FORESTER]

where in NY are you located?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

One thought is a petiole borer.
Look very closely at the petiole and see if there is a tiny hole where a bug is chewing a tunnel.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Maybe far fetched, but how about a squirrel? They like to tear up trees this time of year to make nests.

 

[mary]

I'm in Rochester, NY. Okay, at the rist of sounding like an idiot, what's a petiole? Maybe squirels but I don't think so. Too many leaves dropped-my driveway is loaded with it's leaves. The tree is very old, as are all of them in the yard and it has 3 trunks. I'd really hate to lose it.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The petiole is the little stem that the leaf is connected to the tree with. Ash have compound leaves, which means each leaf has a number of leaflets.
Which was another question, are the whole leaves falling or just leaflets?
Look very closely at the leaves, especially where they disconnected from the tree, for some kind of abnormality.

 

[mary]

Just the leaflets are coming down.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/images/maple_petiole_borer.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://www.ppdl.purdue.edu/ppdl/weeklypics/Weekly_Picture5-7-01-3.html&h=450&w=600&sz=29&tbnid=e97lehBHIS0J:&tbnh=99&tbnw=132&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpetiole%2Bborer%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Here's what petiole borer damage looks like. Can't find any reference to Ash though.

 

[mary]

Mike, thanks so much for all your help. I remembered this morning that we had an aborist take care of one of our maples in the backyard a few years ago. Luckily, I saved his business card & called him just a few minutes ago. He immediately said to water it. Said ash trees are prone to problems from drought and our spring here was very dry.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Just the leaflets are coming down.

That almost sounds like a squirrel. Can't you just picture the little bugger up there chewing the leaflets off and dropping them, only saving the nice soft green stem up the middle of the leaf?
I've noticed in Oaks the squirrels like to bite the green stems off for nest building, must just be easier.

Can you see the leaves falling or just the mess?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Mike, thanks so much for all your help. I remembered this morning that we had an aborist take care of one of our maples in the backyard a few years ago. Luckily, I saved his business card & called him just a few minutes ago. He immediately said to water it. Said ash trees are prone to problems from drought and our spring here was very dry.

Ash is a lowland spieces, they like it wet. Good call. Let us know if it helps.

 

[mary]

Just the mess-everyday!! I clean it up every day and the next day it's back. Very frustrating and scary. I just don't want to lose the tree.

 

[mary]

The sprinkler is on it now!! I'll let you know what happens. Thanks again!!

Mary Beth

 

[mary]

Hi everyone, just an update on my ash trees. We've been watering them furiously and it seems to be helping-2 hours in the am and 2 in the pm. It's slowed up considerably. If only we could get some rain!! My very old maple in the front is sending out helicopters like everyone else's. WOW, what a mess it's making and combined with the cottonwood flying it's a constant cleanup.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Don't overwater!
Soak the soil and then let it just dry out before watering again. Test by poking a stick into the soil a few inches.
http://www.azcentral.com/home/garden/articles/0226ho13fill26.html

 

[mary]

Ash is dropping

Gotcha. You sound like hubby-he tells me that I'm trying to drown it. I just want to make sure it gets enough water. It's much better now though. There weren't any leaves in the driveway today when I came home from work.