Ash Tree Care

Here are the common problems with an ash tree.

Ash Tree Health Care - The health of your ash tree is hampered when it is stressed from dryness or is lacking nutrients. This makes it a prime target for lilac/ash borer.

A preventative spray will protect the tree from ash borer, recommended in April and May when the insect is flying. Look for small, circular holes in the trunk and curling or brown leaves.

In the Great Lakes states, emerald ash borer (EAB) is devasting almost all the ash trees and may end up in Colorado within the next 5 to 10 years, due to firewood transport and infested nursery stock.

Planting a green ash tree on the Front Range circa 2011 might not be a good idea. There are preventive treatments that work very effectively. But they’re very expensive roughly $100-$200 per tree per season.

In terms of treatment, an ash is pretty much an ash.  An autumn purple ash is bit more vulnerable to ash borer.  Because of poor soil quality in Colorado , we recommend a deep root fertilization in spring and fall/early winter for ash trees that are prone to stress. If your ash tree seems robust, doesn’t have any borer activity but has some browning of leaves try a monthly deep root watering.

Ash Tree Trimming – Ash trees get overgrown very quickly! Trimming an ash tree is important to reduce competing branches, and help promote healthy branch development.  Compared to other types of trees, ash thinning is crucial to allow  the tree to process energy.  Ashes get nailed pretty bad for snow damage so removing branch area makes it less prone to breakage.  Check out our tree trimming Denver page for more information about what to expect from a tree cutting service.