Mountain Ash seems to be dying off - Ask Extension
Leaves on mY mountain ash are slowly turning yellow and some are starting to fall off. I noticed some cracking in the bark and it appears to be wet on...
Knowledgebase
Mountain Ash seems to be dying off #340787
Asked July 08, 2016, 12:40 PM EDT
Leaves on mY mountain ash are slowly turning yellow and some are starting to fall off. I noticed some cracking in the bark and it appears to be wet on one side from one of the cracks. Any thoughts? The tree is apps 4 years old.
Thank you
Randy Chubaty
Martin County Minnesota
Expert Response
It looks like your tree could have fire blight and since the trunk appears to be infected there isn't much that can be done. You will probably lose the tree. The disease is most common in apples and crabapples but Mt. Ash are also susceptible. Here is a link to info about fire blight that explains the disease. http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/trees-shrubs/fire-blight/
Ok thanks, I plan on removing the tree. I am going to pull it completely and not cut any portion. Question, will the bacteria remain in the area or ground? Is there any precaution to take prior to planting another tree in the same spot.
The disease could remain in the area on another host so I would plant something that isn't affected by fire blight. The info that I provided talks about the species that are affected, mainly apples, crab apples, mountain ash and hawthorn so if you choose something else you could plant it in that location.
