Common ash, Fraxinus excelsior – profile, use and cultivation

You should think twice before planting a common ash tree in your garden. They are very beautiful trees, they provide excellent shade and make a nice background. In some areas, ash trees have been and still are traditionally planted as lateral property boundaries between farms. They have space and don’t bother the neighbors. In today’s house gardens you will make yourself unpopular with the neighbors with an ash tree, because the normal common ash tree is simply too big for the property. In addition, the trees (except for the sterile garden varieties) form a large number of fast-growing and fast-establishing seedlings, which can spread up to 100 m and will certainly not please the neighbors.

Ash trees need a lot of water and like to grow in the direction of underground water pipes. They sprout quite late and lose their foliage quite early, so you don’t have a green tree for that long. It is also important to know that ash trees tend to lose branches as soon as the first stronger winds come up. So there is a lot to be said against the cultivation of one or even more ash trees.

The cultivation and care of the common ash are uncomplicated, as long as the location and plant substrate are right.

location

The ash as a young tree is somewhat shade tolerant. Over the years, however, the tree needs more and more light until the crown is completely free at the end. A young ash should be planted in a place that is not too warm, bright and free from late frost. A high level of humidity is favourable, for example near a pond or stream.

• Needs lots of light
• Not too warm
• Late frost free
• High humidity

soil condition

A mineral and deep soil is important for the ash. It should be fresh to moist, if possible not too dry, this will affect their growth. Since the alder perspires a lot of water, a good water supply is crucial. Since the roots sometimes go quite deep, a not so low groundwater level is an advantage. The pH value must not be below 4.2, i.e. the soil must not be too acidic. It is also important that it is well ventilated.

• Mineral and deep
• Fresh to moist, not too dry
• Well ventilated
• pH above 4.2, preferably 7 to 10
• Definitely good water supply

plant

Common ash trees need space. Other trees and walls limit them. The roots spread up to 3.5 m all around. This zone should be left blank. When it comes to planting, there is nothing out of the ordinary to look out for.

The best planting time is between spring and autumn. Depending on the size of the root ball, an appropriate planting hole must be dug. It should be about twice the size of the bale. The soil in the hole should be well loosened. If the soil is too dry, the plant substrate must be processed accordingly. Mature compost is helpful here. It can be distributed generously at the bottom of the planting hole. Soak the root ball with water before planting. If you don’t have a sufficiently large container in which the whole bale can fit and soak up the water properly, let the water run over the bale for a while.

In windy locations it is advisable to tie the tree to a support pole. This should be brought into the planting hole at the same time. Fill in the soil again and then water abundantly.

• Plan enough space all around for the fast-growing ash tree – plant spacing
• Planting time – between spring and autumn, ideally late summer
• Planting hole twice as big as bales
• Prepare substrate accordingly
• compost in the planting hole
• Water the root ball well
• Trunk must be straight
• Support rod if necessary
• fill up soil

watering and fertilizing

An even water supply is particularly important for the development of an ash tree. This is because the tree evaporates a lot of water through its leaves and releases it into its surroundings. The tree does not thrive as well if the soil is dry and there is a lack of water. Precipitation in May and June is particularly important for the wood. If there is only little rain, it should be watered abundantly.

Freshly planted ash trees in particular need to be watered regularly until they start to grow. Later, the trees can fetch water from greater depths with their deeper roots and usually manage quite well on their own. However, since there are also many roots close to the surface, additional watering is always welcome in dry conditions.

If the common ash is near a body of water, the established tree no longer needs to be watered. It takes care of itself and always pushes its roots towards the water.

• Uniform water supply
• A lot of water evaporates
• Especially in May and June, water is important for development
• Water freshly planted ash trees regularly until they grow

You don’t have to fertilize the ash, but you can. It only makes sense before flowering in spring. Lime fertilizer is cheap, but compost is also helpful. When mixing in the compost, be careful not to damage the above-ground roots.

• Fertilize in spring, every 14 days
• Lime fertilizer or compost
• Otherwise no nutrient supply necessary

To cut

Uncut ash trees look best. If you plan enough space for the tree from the start, you don’t have to cut it. Disturbing side branches can be shortened. The best time to do this is after the leaves have fallen or before the start of the growing season. Experts recommend not pruning trees that are drifting through terminal buds, or pruning them very carefully if possible. The ash is one of them. So if you have to cut, then not much and always on a knot. The existing protection zone must be preserved. This promotes an overgrowth with cambium. Also, the cut remains fairly small, which is important. Do not leave stubs and do not cut parallel to the trunk. It is important to preserve the typical growth character of the ash.

• Best not to cut
• Only cut off unwanted side branches
• Prune after leaf fall or before the growing season
• Always cut on a branch
• Don’t leave stubs
• Small wounds if possible
• maintain growth character

hibernate

Ash trees are sufficiently hardy. You don’t need protection.

propagation

Common ash can be propagated by seed and cuttings. Both are reliable and easy to do. Usually you only have to look around for seedlings in the vicinity of the ash tree. They can be dug up or, when young enough, simply pulled out of the ground and planted back in the garden.

sowing

Ashes are cold germs, so they should be sown outside. Some green seeds that have not yet reached full maturity germinate particularly well. So you should start collecting seeds as early as mid-August to mid-September. It is sown individually, in a small container, which is then best embedded in the ground. The seeds will germinate next spring.

• Cold germs need low temperatures to germinate
• Use early, not yet mature seeds
• Just stick it in soil in a planter
• Cover only a little with soil and simply stick the container in the ground outdoors.

cuttings

The easiest way to propagate is cuttings from two to four-year-old mother plants. With older mother plants, the failure rate is very high, at over 70 percent. The 20 to 30 cm long green trees are cut in June. You simply put them in a peat-sand mixture, place the planter in a shady place and keep the substrate as evenly moist as possible. It takes about 4 to 6 months for the first roots to form.

• Cut cuttings in June
• 20 to 30 cm long
• Put in a peat-sand mixture
• cute couples
• Keep evenly slightly moist

diseases and pests

Actually, ash trees are quite robust. In recent decades, however, the so-called ash canker has been causing problems for the trees. There are two causes of this disease, one is bacteria and the other is fungi. The bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae) penetrates the bark tissue through injuries, leaf scars or cork spores. The result is the death of the cambium cells, which in turn leads to impaired wound healing. Blackish swellings develop. The fungus Nectria galligena penetrates through broken branches or other openings and causes the bark to die off. Large, crater-like wounds and elliptical bulges develop. Ash trees with black growths up to the crown are relatively common. The trees usually live with this disease for years. There is no remedy.

Ash dieback, sometimes also called ash dieback, is now widespread. Dead spots on trunks and twigs, wilting and falling of the leaves and the dying of twigs and top shoots are noticeable. Younger trees can die off completely. In Denmark, for example, this disease killed 95% of all ash trees by 2013. In Germany it is estimated at 30 percent. Blame mushrooms. New ones are always found to be involved. Chalara fraxinea is probably the main culprit. There are no funds yet, but researchers are in the process of propagating resistant trees.

• Variegated ash bark beetle – belongs to the bark beetles, only 2.5 to 3.5 mm in size, native species, eats 6 to 10 cm long transverse tunnels in the bark, the larval tunnels are only 4 cm long, infestation can occur, especially in young trees lead to death, control with contact insecticides, spray directly onto the bark before the females burrow into the bark to lay eggs in spring.
• Ash moth – moths, fly from May to June, again in August, young caterpillars feed on the leaves, older ones on the buds, bore into terminal buds to overwinter and eat them. This leads to bifurcation.
• Asian ash jewel beetle – not yet found in Europe, can cause major damage

use

Ash wood is highly valued. It is tough, elastic, tensile, abrasion-resistant, unbreakable and does not splinter. It’s great for turning, nailing, screwing, gluing, sawing and bending. After beech and oak, the ash is one of the most important indigenous noble deciduous trees and hardwoods. The hardwood has been used for centuries to make spears, lances, arrows and other weapons. Today, other things are made from the wood, such as gymnastics equipment, furniture, parquet floors, musical instruments, stairs, tool handles and others.

Ash wood is good firewood. It has similarly high calorific values ​​as beech and oak.

Ash is also used in medicine and homeopathy. Leaves and bark of the ash tree are traditionally used for mild joint problems, fever and urinary tract problems. Tinctures and powders are used internally.

• Versatile use
• Gymnastic and sports equipment
• instruments
• furniture and parquet
• stairs…
• Good firewood
• medicine and homeopathy

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it true that ash trees are already fully grown after 5 to 7 years?
You read that again and again, but how can that be with a tree that grows up to 40 m high? The common ash grows fast, but no tree grows that fast. You can assume that the tree will grow about 20 m in the first 40 years, that would be about half a meter a year and that’s impressive. It is the case that young ash trees grow a little faster, but then it becomes a little less over the years.

Where is the death of Esther particularly common?
Dying is particularly common in alluvial forests and on calcareous soil. The fungus occurs less frequently in regions that are very dry in summer, where fewer spores are formed. Wet locations such as flood areas favor the occurrence.

What is the best way to get the already quite large seedlings of the ash tree out of the ground?
You simply wrap small specimens around your hand and pull them out. This works particularly well if you use gardening gloves with roughened palms. It is important to rip out the seedlings as soon as possible, because they are difficult to remove later. A so-called rose fork is then helpful. You can use it to pry out the already quite strong roots.

If both no longer work because the plants are already too strong, the only thing that helps is exposing the root for about 10 to 20 cm and then cutting off everything that is visible with the pruning shears. The deeper you are in the root area, the safer it is. The best time for large-scale control measures is between mid-August and mid-September. Otherwise, the only thing that helps is to remove the seedlings immediately after they become visible, then it’s quite easy.