This evening I went up above Marsden with Sarah and Neil to take a look at the ash die-back in their field. Very sad, not every tree is affected, and most that are affected still have new growth from this year, but have lost their main upward stem, the leader. Forestry commission advice is a bit unclear. They don't advise outright destruction, but do say that coppicing from diseased trees is likely not a good idea. Coppicing was Neil and Sarah's original plan for these trees. Luckily, they have other trees, and other species in the same field.
 |
| Diseased stem, it will work its way back down the stem. |
 |
| The leader (top stem) seems most often the one to go. |
 |
| Classic "lesion" on stem. |
