Common Ash - yay or nay?

[deedeemegadoodoo]

In the last week, I have discovered (according to my app) a common ash sapling at the bottom of my garden.

I have read about how they are currently endangered, but others see them as invasive.

I was going to plant a tree down there anyway. Would it be OK to keep if I kept it pruned regularly? Or should I get rid now before it takes further hold.

This tree could grow to 35m. Therefore unless your garden is huge and you have no neighbours, it needs to come out. These are countryside trees. Obviously they can get Ash dieback too.

Can you replant it in a more suitable position. Give it 10 years and no one will think you for leaving it there. I would buy a suitable garden tree with a height limited to 5m!

If you want a tree down there anyway then you could keep it and coppice it. Google “ash coppice”. However it wouldn’t look like a normal ash tree, you’d have one year in seven maybe where it would look a bit strange in shape.

Also, if you do this then please remove it when you sell the house, if the new owners aren’t willling to coppice it. If it grows it will shade not just your garden but everything to the north, which isn’t fair on any neighbours.

Also you could end up with problems with its roots and house foundations. Also removing a mature tree causes problems too. It allows a lot of water back into the soil - up to 50,000 litres. This also plays havoc with house foundations. Coppicing costs money if you cannot do it yourself. It will be hard to do effectively. I would plant it somewhere suitable. No one will thank you for keeping it.

They aren't endangered they are susceptible to a disease and are no longer allowed to be imported or grown in nurseries any more. No ash trees are.

They are a very common seedling. As much as I love ash I'd remove it. Especially as it's only small. Get the right tree for your garden.

Thank you. I thought as much, but you have all confirmed it. It will be gone from today!

It'll grow very fast and very big, in my opinion they're a pain, I've got one that tried to grow in my garden and I just keep cutting it back. I also think they're are much prettier trees you could buy if you did want one in your garden plus when nature it'll drop seeds all over the garden and they'll all self sees as they can even grown in cracks in paths so you'll forever be pulling out little ash trees from all over your garden xx

I tried to uproot it earlier today - no chance! So I’m cut it down to the earth and will perhaps try to kill it chemically (unless I can rope my husband in!)

Yeah the one I have I have to just keep hacking it back because there's no way I could dig it out 😒 mine was left over from previous owners x