What Are the First Signs of Ash Dieback

Your Essential Guide

Ash dieback is a deadly fungal disease that, as the name suggests, affects ash trees. Knowing what the early signs are is crucial for controlling its spread. As the specialists in tree felling Suffolk property owners recommend, we have seen first-hand the devastation this disease can cause. Here’s what you should be looking out for.

Warning Signs

Ash dieback is a devastating disease, but luckily there are quite a few warning signs that you can look out for. If you notice any of the following on your ash tree, it’s time to get in touch with us.

• Leaves: Black blotches will appear, most often seen at the leaf base and midrib. These leaves will then wilt.
• Stems and branches: Small, lens-shaped lesions or necrotic spots can be seen on the bark of stems and branches. If you peel the bark, the wood underneath will have a brownish to grey colour.
• Bases of stems: Many trees affected by ash dieback will develop dark lesions at the bottom of the trunk. This may manifest alongside leaf symptoms or lesions higher up the tree, but it can develop in isolation. These can lead to a more rapid decline of the tree, often making it unstable.
• The whole tree: Infected trees suffer from dieback of shoots, twigs and branches, especially new ones. This is what gives the disease its name.

Why You Should Contact Us

While all the things we have mentioned are strong indicators of ash dieback, it’s essential to consult an expert to make sure that the disease is present. Some signs, such as leaf wilting or shoot dieback, can also result from other tree diseases. It’s vital that the correct disease is diagnosed so that the right plan of action can be put in place.

Just like human health problems, different tree diseases have different treatments. You won’t take medicine for a stomach upset to treat an earache, and you won’t treat a tree that isn’t suffering from ash dieback in the same way you would where the disease is present.

What to Do Next

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for ash dieback, and it is very much a case of managing the disease to prevent its spread. When the disease is spotted early, this can be very successful. We can carry out pruning and monitoring to keep the disease in check – and when the time comes, feel the tree safely.

It’s important to act quickly to manage the disease, especially in areas where there are a lot of ash trees. This is so we can prevent it from spreading any further. You do not need to remove all ash trees from an area if they are not showing signs of infection. They are a valuable habitat for birds, insects and animals, and may be some of the few that are resistant to the disease. They could be a useful source of seeds for replanting efforts.

Contact Us

Ash dieback is a serious threat to ash trees in Suffolk and all over the UK, and early detection is vital. If you suspect it is present on your property, get in touch with us right away.

Written by

Paul Thomas