Ive got a strip of trees next to my northern driveway that has about a dozen ash trees either dead or dying due to EAB. Also there is some smaller brushy type saplings in there as well as a couple silver and red maple. The question is do I take down all the ash and clear around the maples only leaving a few bigger ones and maybe move some small red oak up from out back? Or just knock down the ash and let the brushy small stuff be? Or I’m open to any suggestions..... I just don’t want to leave the ash till it’s to far gone. The green is some of the maples as you can see it only has leaves and branches on the open side.
I would take the sickly trees out and foster the growth of the healthy hardwood. I would take the brush out as it takes nutrients from the trees you want. I am not a professional and have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, just not last night.
I'm up against a fence on this one J. Dirt . I like the live growth, but not the dead standing. But on the other hand I hate doing leave clean up.
Well, either way sounds like you will be building up those dwindling stacks of yours! I'd leave anything decent and the rest goes buh bye...
thinning will help growth and getting the ash before its gone are both good things. But what's on the other side? If you don't mind seeing whatever is over there, find a small brush mower and go to town. We under brushed about 2 acres once with a gravely walk behind and it really helped.
Yeah not really in the need for anymore wood at the moment but I suppose if I keep it off the ground it will last longer than on the stump especially since it’s a fairly wet spot
Just corn or bean field and a little more hedgerow I only own half of. Which if I talked with the owner and either split the wood with him or even gave him all of it I’m sure he would be fine with it. Saves him from dead wood in his crops. As far as the mower part I’ve got my bush hog, saws and blade on the trimmer that will thin it out just fine. I forgot to mention I took about 6 feet of the brushy stuff off the driveway edge at the beginning of summer to put in some lilacs
Should be a good fall/winter project for you then. Will make a nice area when you get it all cleaned up.
I only mention this since you said it borders a driveway - silver maple around here drops limbs like it's their job or something. Big ones, too, that look healthy. Really does a number on cars. Ask me how I know. Might think about losing it while you remove the dead ash.
Good thought! I’ve got kind of a horse shoe of a driveway around the house so it doesn’t get parked in luckily, but maybe clear cut it and move some red oaks up from out back would be a good idea?
Red Oaks? Sounds like a no-brainer......Maybe get yer hands on some White Oaks, a few Shagbark, too? Just sayin’ is all, ‘cos even tho you gots lots of farwood, why not plan for the future of the family?
Ditto. Cut the ash, and I'd cull the less desirable trees and shrubs too. If you've got oak to transplant, do that too.
On second thought...maybe the right answer is to clear cut it and then you have a ton more room to CSS! :stacke: :stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke:
Hickory is tough to replant. The taproot can be well over 5 feet deep before the tree has 1 foot of above ground growth. They don't take well too any damage to the taproot, and the hole in which to plant them needs to go as deep as the root. So as much as I love me some hickory, it's a pita to replant. I think oaks are much easier.
So, I just read that oaks are taproot trees as well. They don't seem to be as crazy as hickory is for the taproot when younger, but you can't damage the root, otherwise the tree didn't have much of a chance to survive.
For sure cut out the dead ash. Then see what it looks like before making the final decision on what to do with the rest.
