When should ash trees be pruned?

Timing and the kinds of ash here

Ash in Northern Nevada yards is often green ash, Modesto ash or Raywood ash. All are deciduous, so the dormant window applies, which means late winter, before the spring flush. Hazards and dead limbs are cut when found. The species page is ash trees: Modesto, Raywood and green ash.

What good ash pruning does

Thinning lightens the long limbs and clears deadwood and crossing branches. Topping an ash to stubs leaves weak regrowth and open wounds; see why topping is not pruning. A tree this size is also governed by the amount rule: about 15 to 20 percent of live wood at a time, according to UNR Extension, which is written for fruit trees but is a useful ceiling.

Emerald ash borer

We make no claim here about where emerald ash borer is or is not in Nevada. The Nevada Department of Agriculture is the source for that status, and we have not sourced it, so check with the department. We do not spray or inject trees. A thinning crown can have many causes, including water and roots.

When removal is the answer

A mostly dead ash, trunk decay, lifted roots or a split union over a house is a removal question. See large tree removal. A certified arborist assesses it at the free estimate: 775.232.8243.

Before you book

Walk the tree and note any dead limbs, any thin or dying top, any bark that is peeling or cracked, and which limbs reach the roof. Photos from the ground help. A certified arborist assesses the tree before the crew starts, and the free estimate says what comes off. If part of the crown has died, the arborist can say whether pruning, dead wooding or removal fits.