Emerald Ash Borer is Here--go after all ash this fall?

[MetMan]

What's the best strategy for wood gathering now that the ash borer is within miles of the house? Should I go after ash exclusively this fall and save the other trees?

Thanks in advance...

 

[thewoodlands]

What's the best strategy for wood gathering now that the ash borer is within miles of the house? Should I go after ash exclusively this fall and save the other trees?

Thanks in advance...

Backwoods Savage is one person on here that got hit by the EAB, he won't be on for a few days but you can e-mail him. Dennis cuts alot of dead ash.


zap

 

[firefighterjake]

If memory serves me right BS' wood supply is almost all ash . . . sadly he has a lot of dead ash and figures he might as well use it before it just falls over and rots. I am already dreading the day when the EAB makes it up here since I love ash trees.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

I'm in the middle of EAB country. I would cut all the Ash, largest first, as that's what the EAB does.

The ground is moist here and the roots fail in 18mo-3 years, so the woods are a mess now. Hard to work safely if you haven't cut the dead stuff while it was still strong.

I pass on crotches, and focus on Ash. I expect I'll be mostly done cutting Ash in the next year. Sad to see it go.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I will likely take all the logs out this winter and processing the rest for firewood. Rumor has it the Ash market is pretty good right now. Time is tickin on the logs though, the little bastages have already been confirmed in the Hudson valley and the DEC has pretty much said it is only a matter of time for the rest of the state. 900 million trees are going to make a lot of firewood.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/67181.html

 

[schortie]

No matter what you do, if the EAB is around those ash trees are already gone. If you don't cut them now, you'll be cutting them after they're dead. I'm not sure what you mean by "save the other trees". The EAB will only wipe out the ash, not the other species.

 

[MetMan]

Thanks for all the replies. Ash it is this year. schortie--I just meant save the rest of the trees for after all of the ash are gone. I am fortunate to have not too many ash, more black walnut, hickory, maple, cherry, and some oak. Oh, and basswood out the wazoo. I will miss the ash, though--the beams under my floor appear to be ash logs circa 1870, bark still on.

Cheers...

 

[jeff_t]

Yep, big ones go first. But if they've just found adults, you've got several years. If you can do something with the trees besides firewood, then do it. I wouldn't be in a big rush to cut them all for firewood yet. You've prolly got 15-20 years before they start falling down and rotting.

 

[zzr7ky]

Hi -

We had 5 years of EAB here, and with the windy days in the last week they're falling all over the place. In dry ground you've got some time but in damp ground the roots may not last 2 years.

It's not slow like Elm disease or Oak wilt.