Ash wood - suitability for outdoor projects (and what if it has dieback?)

[IanA]

I think its a little different when the the guy has just cut down 20 big trees and then timber would need milling and seasoning.

Yes you're right and I agree. In fact when I looked back at the title of the original theme my comments were largely irrelevant! But by then I'd already posted them. However, I'd still say the book is a good read for anyone. Cheers IanA

 

[IanA]

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[Woody2Shoes]

A problem with ash dead or dying from ash die back is that it becomes brittle. This means tree surgeons cannot fell them, ie, dismember them, in the normal way because it's dangerous to climb them. The hire of a cherry picker can double the cost of taking one down.
Lots of healthy ashes are now being felled by local authorities where they may become a danger to the public, eg, roadsides and parks.
I wouldn't think brittle ash will be good for anything other than burning.
Morris 1000 estates used ash just as a traditional continuation of farm wagon construction where it was valued for its toughness. However it is not very durable hence the need for ash groves to ensure a constant supply.
Brian

I've heard this story round here too. Certainly it makes sense to remove diseased trees from high risk areas like car parks and footpaths etc. But arborists are trained to deal with trees in all states of decay, so I wonder if this is sometimes used too often as an excuse. Certainly not all ash trees die from chalara.

 

[topchippyles]

I've heard this story round here too. Certainly it makes sense to remove diseased trees from high risk areas like car parks and footpaths etc. But arborists are trained to deal with trees in all states of decay, so I wonder if this is sometimes used too often as an excuse. Certainly not all ash trees die from chalara.

A good tree surgeon will never fell a healthy tree and ash dieback is rampant in the uk

 

[Yojevol]

I've heard this story round here too. Certainly it makes sense to remove diseased trees from high risk areas like car parks and footpaths etc. But arborists are trained to deal with trees in all states of decay, so I wonder if this is sometimes used too often as an excuse. Certainly not all ash trees die from chalara.

Yes they are trained but that training would oblige them to assess the risks involved. Their insurance
companies are also in the risk business so the fellers' heads have been well and truelly 'upped'

A good tree surgeon will never fell a healthy tree and ash dieback is rampant in the uk

The tree surgeons I know will do what they're paid to do.
Brian

 

[Woody2Shoes]

A good tree surgeon will never fell a healthy tree and ash dieback is rampant in the uk

A lot of ash trees that have some signs of chalara may well not die of it - there is quite a bit of genetic diversity and some trees may well survive and/or not get infected in the first place. I think also that trees at different life stages can be affected differently.

I have probably fifty ash trees of different ages, several of them are dead, several of them seem perfectly healthy and quite a few of the smaller ones are looking a bit poorly - there is not much rhyme or reason to it. I'm quite happy to leave them in place (or salvage some firewood/timber from them) where they do not present a danger to others (some are adjacent to road/footpath - "it's all about the targets"). I have a small thicket of English Elm that the beetles have not yet been able to reach/infest - I'm quietly optimistic that I might get some useful timber from one or two of the larger ones!

As already said, a tree surgeon will do what he's contracted to do - within reason, and hopefully within the law (some of them are very haphazard at checking for nearby nesting birds, for example).