Ash tree - keep or chop?

kiwifruit_2

Maybe you could cut it down and replace it with another tree thats not so invasive??? Our west boundary has a huge ash tree and from that there are about another 10 or so self seeded ones but as there are no other properties they dont do any harm...but i can see what a pain they are lol.

angelavdavis

I got rid of a massive ash tree I had growing in the middle of my previous garden (it was about 20 foot tall!!!). I didn't regret it one bit! It used to drop everywhere and I was constantly battling the seedlings which grew a mile a minute if left to them own devices!

We couldn't get rid of all the trunk, so I drilled into the top of the trunk, applying stump killer into it, and kept cutting back the side shoots whenever they appeared. I then planted a clematis over it.

One big thing I noticed when I had it cut down was that suddenly everything else perked up because the other plants were no longer fighting for light and water. I love trees, but this one was wrong for a garden!

As it is at the bottom of the garden, so less likely at the moment to be affecting your house foundations, I would say go for it.

Capt._Caveman

It looks as though your ash tree is for the chop. But I must just give a vote in favor of the Ash. If you have a young Ash, it can be very easily laid into a hedge and as lotus eater says, it is fantastic firewood. So keep it to a manageable size and get yourself warm twice - once when chopping it and once when burning.

lilac_lady

If it's a Mountain Ash tree (Rowan) you'd better keep it because it scares the witches away. (Scottish folklore).

Mojisola

lilac_lady wrote: »

If it's a Mountain Ash tree (Rowan) you'd better keep it because it scares the witches away. (Scottish folklore).

Now that makes a pretty tree that looks great in smaller gardens.

twinklefish

Spoke to Mrs neighbour again this morning and found out a bit more...the tree could be as old as 50! House was built in the 1950s and the tree was a couple of feet tall when the lady I bought from moved in about 45 years ago! So it could be anywhere between 45 and 50 years old!

My nice neighbour also said that when her hubby cut it back a few years ago, he thought it looked like it was rotten in the middle.

So, will wait and see what the tree mannie says when he has a look this week but it's looking more and more like I'll be swapping it for a shed!

Oh, have also had very quick reply from council who have confirmed there are no protection orders on the tree.