Can ash be pruned in June

blue5000

As per title, is there a potential problem pruning ash at this time of year?
Thanks

Oldtree

blue5000 wrote: »

As per title, is there a potential problem pruning ash at this time of year?
Thanks

Plantation ash or ash in countryside/garden?

lazybones32

It's not the ideal time but provided you don't plan on taking too much off, there should be no long-term damage. I guess the possibility of an infection occurring is increased but if it needs to be done now, it needs to be done.

blue5000

Oldtree wrote: »

Plantation ash or ash in countryside/garden?

Is there a difference? It's mostly in hedges.

lazybones32

Incorrect pruning of an ash plantation could lose you a lot of money.
If you're only clearing branches from a roadside, cut away but not so much that you destabilise the tree.

Oldtree

A a general rule the optimum time to prune trees is mid winter. The next optimum time is mid summer. It is not a good time to prune trees in spring or autumn.

Use target pruning

greysides

Oldtree wrote: »

A a general rule the optimum time to prune trees is mid winter. The next optimum time is mid summer. It is not a good time to prune trees in spring or autumn.

Just curious, why mid-summer, as opposed to spring or autumn?

Oldtree

The trees energy is directed towards preparing for bud burst in spring and preparing for dormancy, leaf drop, in autumn. If pruning is carried out at the times of high energy usage (spring/autumn) the tree is less able to respond to the pruning than it would be at times of low energy usage (mid winter/mid summer).

Trees do not heal, they seal. Trees respond to damage by the cambium growing outwards and over the pruning damage. Trees also clog up the functional wood inside of the pruning damage, sealing off the damage in a 3d sense. This response by the tree can prevent decay spreading within the tree.

Further, as a tree functions under negative pressure, any damage to the cambium immediately "sucks" in spores from the surrounding air, so it is already too late to apply anything like "tree paints" to the damage. Tree paints applied after wounding just make a nice habitat allowing any spores to thrive. Therefore after the correct pruning technique is used, target pruning, it is then best to allow the tree's defences to deal with the damage.

Pruning in winter also allows a full season for the tree to recover from the damage, and therefore it is the optimum time for pruning.

greysides

Thanks for the thorough answer Oldtree. My interest stems from gardening but I have a liking for trees, as objects to appreciate rather than just money to appreciate.

Oldtree

Don't get me started

TomOnBoard

Oldtree wrote: »

Don't get me started

Ah, gooo on! You know you want to...

TomOnBoard

greysides wrote: »

Thanks for the thorough answer Oldtree. My interest stems from gardening but I have a liking for trees, as objects to appreciate rather than just money to appreciate.

Nice way to put it.

I was out in my own place yesterday, clearing up around some trees that had been neglected for a good while. Anyway, as I was cutting / pulling ivy that was choking them I was struck by the sheer beauty of my 20 year old Silver Birch. Fabulous sheets of peeling bark in lovely colours. I found myself giving the tree a good rub (like one would give a favourite dog or horse) and was genuinely uplifted by it.

Simple pleasures in God's wonderful world...

Oldtree

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Ah, gooo on! You know you want to...

I do I do, but I would bore you to tears

TomOnBoard wrote: »

Nice way to put it.

I was out in my own place yesterday, clearing up around some trees that had been neglected for a good while. Anyway, as I was cutting / pulling ivy that was choking them I was struck by the sheer beauty of my 20 year old Silver Birch. Fabulous sheets of peeling bark in lovely colours. I found myself giving the tree a good rub (like one would give a favourite dog or horse) and was genuinely uplifted by it.

Simple pleasures in God's wonderful world...

The peeling bark if nicely dry makes for an excellent fire starter.

When dealing with the rodo in the oak woodland we used peeling birch bark and broken off birch twigs that were off the ground to start the bonfires. We were allowed one match only and even in the rain it went up nicely.

TomOnBoard

Oldtree wrote: »

I do I do, but I would bore you to tears



The peeling bark if nicely dry makes for an excellent fire starter.

When dealing with the rodo in the oak woodland we used peeling birch bark and broken off birch twigs that were off the ground to start the bonfires. We were allowed one match only and even in the rain it went up nicely.

It does that no doubt. But one of the most intriguing uses for birch bark is that it has been used as a medium for writing, using inks that permeated layers below the top, and that were very good for protecting the message from the rain..

Long before paper was invented, birch bark was a highly regarded writing medium. I'm not sure whether it was favoured over Papyrus (which we've ALL heard of), but its historically proven use is intriguing.

Some of the most significant writings that were consigned to that medium were those that referred to the Siddartha, nowadays known as Buddha, some 4-500 years after Siddartha, and around the time of Jesus of Nazareth.

So the next time you come across an A4 sheet of this stuff, think a bit about the world's history that was written thereon and lost thereafter, and smile a bit like I did...
But most important:

don't be afraid to rub.

Oldtree

This on Forest Bathing should blow your mind:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568835

The results show that forest environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than do city environments

Have you read "The Man Who Plants Trees" by Jim Robbins? great read but a bit out there in parts, but brought Forest Bathing to my attention.

TomOnBoard

Oldtree wrote: »

This on Forest Bathing should blow your mind:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568835

The results show that forest environments promote lower concentrations of cortisol, lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater parasympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than do city environments

Have you read "The Man Who Plants Trees" by Jim Robbins? great read but a bit out there in parts, but brought Forest Bathing to my attention.

I haven't read the book. I must see if I can get my hands on it

I reckon that, just about now, other members on here are wondering just what you and I are smoking.. :eek::D

Oldtree

TomOnBoard wrote: »

I haven't read the book. I must see if I can get my hands on it

I reckon that, just about now, other members on here are wondering just what you and I are smoking.. :eek::D

here for €12.26 inc free postage:D
http://www.kennys.ie/catalogsearch/result/?q=the+man+who+planted+tres

Genghis Cant

Oldtree wrote: »

The peeling bark if nicely dry makes for an excellent fire starter.

TomOnBoard wrote: »

But one of the most intriguing uses for birch bark is that it has been used as a medium for writing.

Here's another use. A very attractive backing on this bow!