Are you taking the correct measures to minimise the impact of this deadly disease?
Fraxinus excelsior, or the common ash is a flowering species native across Europe. Over the past 30 years, ash dieback (or Hymenoscyphus Fraxineus), a fungus originating from Asia, has spread across Europe.
Here, the native common ash has no natural defence, which has accelerated the disease’s spread and poses a huge risk for the sustainability of the species. This threat is now so significant that the Woodland trust forecast that “Ash Dieback will kill around 80% of Ash trees across the UK”. The impact of which will be devastating for biodiversity and is forecast to cost the British public around £15 million to manage over the next 30 years.
Ash Dieback is now most prevalent across the South East of England, but rising cases are seen throughout the British isles, as spores are spread easily by wind. In recent years the spread of Ash Dieback has been poorly managed, and in some cases attempts to reduce its spread by felling infected trees has actually increased it’s prevalence. Despite the bleak forecast for the spread of ash dieback, there are ways to minimize the disease’s spread and its impact, which could allow the species to develop a tolerance to the disease. As the majority of the UKs ash trees fall under private ownership, a key to reducing the spread of dieback comes from increasing awareness of the disease and how to minimize the number of trees it infects.
There are many simple ways we can reduce the spread of Ash Dieback including:
Ensuring the soles of your shoes are cleaned prior to entering woodland areas to reduce the transmission of spours,
Regularly washing mud of the underside of your car,
Ensuring that any branches, leaves or offcuts from an affected tree are disposed of suitably.
Providing trees with the nutrients they need.
As 80% of the UK’s ash trees fall under land ownership it’s also important to be informed about what you can do to recognise and limit the spread of Ash Dieback…
Signs your ash tree is diseased:
Appearance of dark patches through summer months,
Early shedding of leaves,
Fruiting bodies on last years stems,
Dieback of the shoots and leaves is visible in the summer,
Development of lesions in the trees trunk, often diamond shaped and a dark brown colour,
New growth, known as epicormic, from previously dormant buds further down the trunk, which is a common response to stress in trees.
What should you do if you think your Ash tree is affected?
The age of the affected tree and the progression of the disease is likely to determine the best course of action, so it’s important to get an expert to advise you. They will consider the risk the diseased tree poses to people, property and other trees to decide how this risk is most effectively mitigated.
Potential next steps may include:
Monitoring the progression of the disease if the risk is perceived as minimal,
Prune deadwood and branches to prevent them falling and reducing the risk of further spreading the disease,
Pollarding or topping to reduce the height of the affected tree to decide the risk of it damaging people or property if it were to fall,
In extreme cases, if the disease is particularly advanced and the tree poses a significant risk a full removal may be advised,
In all cases it is essential that debris from a diseased tree should be removed and disposed of safely to prevent further spread of the fungi, requiring the creation of anaerobic conditions,
Soil enrichment.
As with all trees, it is important to regularly inspect ash trees for signs of dieback and to ensure any necessary maintenance is carried out so that the tree remains healthy, as unhealthy trees pose a safety risk and could end up damaging your property or those at or near it.
Similarly, you can report ash trees that appear to be showing tolerance to the disease though the Living Ash Project who are working to develop strains of Ash trees with a resistance to Ash Dieback.
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