Ash trees are fighting back

[Rusty]

So much for the Ash being wiped out by the borer.   Affected trees are sending up stump sprouts and young trees are putting out seeds like I’ve never seen before.  Ash trees are popping up like weeds by us.   

[Merkel]

Your not kidding. I’ve got Ash tree seedlings all over the perimeter of the yard.  

[mike033089]

Wish that was the case by me. I have about 8 or so that need to come down at some point. And nothing by the looks of fighting back. Each winter I notice a new one or 2 dying 

[Shakyjake]

Some were bound to make it. 99% kill is still extremely significant. 

[Bucksnbows]

True, Rusty.  But we will lose our mature trees before the biological control wasps (I think it was) can gain the upper edge on the invasive borer beetles.  They say our grandkids will once again know mature ash trees, but our children won't.  Depending on our ages, of course.  The thought being kids born today won't remember ash trees being predominant in many places like they have been, especially for the Piedmont.  But their kids will live with abundant ash trees once again.

That said, I tell all my river restoration clients where ash prevail to keep a close eye on dead trees so they don't fall and destabilize banks since their death is not "natural" but rather man-made by accidentally introducing the beetle to North America.   

  

[mike033089]

Curious as to the thought of oaks? I never really see young ones. On my property in northwest Jersey. it seems beech trees are what is the next up and comer. Lots of young ones amongst a few mature trees.  My buddy runs a parks and rec dept and has to take all this classes. He said he took a class where they said eventually oaks in no will be wiped out due to deer taking out oak saplings once mature oaks eventually die/tumble over etc the lack of saplings won’t be enough to keep the population going.  

[LittleM]

I see that same thing at my house.  Where I cut the dead ones there is new growth like crazy!

[Rusty]

2 minutes ago, mike033089 said:

Curious as to the thought of oaks? I never really see young ones. On my property in northwest Jersey. it seems beech trees are what is the next up and comer. Lots of young ones amongst a few mature trees.  My buddy runs a parks and rec dept and has to take all this classes. He said he took a class where they said eventually oaks in no will be wiped out due to deer taking out oak saplings once mature oaks eventually die/tumble over etc the lack of saplings won’t be enough to keep the population going.  

Sparta Mt is covered in oak seedlings.   If you have a seed source you’ll have saplings, but if your forest doesn’t have many oaks to start with then you won’t. 

[NotJust22s]

They’re just making more food for the borers. The only ones on my property surviving are the ones I’m having treated. Took this picture last night after my daughter in law picked these off the deck. The trees were treated about a week ago.

 

[Rusty]

29 minutes ago, NotJust22s said:

They’re just making more food for the borers. The only ones on my property surviving are the ones I’m having treated. Took this picture last night after my daughter in law picked these off the deck. The trees were treated about a week ago.

 

Oh wow!  

[Roon]

They will eat themselves out of existence. Baby trees popping up are going to be safe and 40 more years other people will have them to cut down for firewood again LOL I'll be dead at that point

[tpr1921]

Nice to hear.

[Bucksnbows]

12 hours ago, mike033089 said:

Curious as to the thought of oaks? I never really see young ones. On my property in northwest Jersey. it seems beech trees are what is the next up and comer. Lots of young ones amongst a few mature trees.  My buddy runs a parks and rec dept and has to take all this classes. He said he took a class where they said eventually oaks in no will be wiped out due to deer taking out oak saplings once mature oaks eventually die/tumble over etc the lack of saplings won’t be enough to keep the population going.  

True only for areas with too many deer. I manage a 107 acre oak/hickory forest in Zone 6 with lower deer numbers than most of the state and we have excellent forest regeneration of our oaks. But deer over-browse is a major forest health issue in many places.  

[electric10162]

I have lots of "sunburned" Ash on my property. Damn shame as some of them are over 70 years old.

[Bucksnbows]

1 hour ago, electric10162 said:

I have lots of "sunburned" Ash on my property. Damn shame as some of them are over 70 years old.

We call those "bones" because as the woodpeckers remove the outer bark as they trees are dead or dying, it looks something like a skeleton, hence "bones".  When you see that, you know that tree is a goner if not already dead.  My community is buzzing all day, every day with tree services making a killing by cutting down ash.  It's year 3 and we probably have 2 or 3 more years to watch them all disappear here.