Anyone with info on growing ash as bonsai?

Dave704

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Call-out to anyone that has some experience with growing Ash as bonsai.

I just moved within the last month. I finally got a bit of a chance to walk the property to see if there is anything worth collecting. I found something that has some potential that I believe to be a white Ash, fraxinus americana.

There doesn't seem to be much info on growing Ash as bonsai. I did find that they are in the same family as lilac and olive. The tree is in the back breaker range so I'm hoping they can handle major root reduction and trunk chops to make it worth collecting.

If I get a chance I'll try to get a picture of the tree in question.
Any suggestions are welcome. I have several Chinese Ash trees. They root incredibly easily, however trunk chops and big cuts do not heal well for me. The callus may build 1/4 inch per year and that callus may die. I have been treating them like Trident Maples with little success; I have tried several cut pastes with the same results. If a branch is removed say 1" to 2" in diameter, the wound does not close like a maple and as the tree grows there is a hole down to the cut. In some cases 1/2" deep with no callus lip. I rewound every year however there is very little if any closure of the wound. If there is a large cut above a branch often the new leader grows well but the scar does not heal and above the scar becomes larger than below. More horizontal cuts do not die back and more vertical cuts do not close. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Dave
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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I ripped a hitchhiker ash out of a nursery container from a myrtle I had bought back in sept. Threw it into a pot and cut it back. I'll probably chop it low mid spring.

Its mature bark has great texture. Will be fun to play with im sure.

View attachment 223658

Sometime this year I would prune lower, at the blue line. Your trunk is too long compared to the base segment. Each segment of trunk should be shorter than the previous.

InkedDSC02076_LI.jpg
 
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Sometime this year I would prune lower, at the blue line. Your trunk is too long compared to the base segment. Each segment of trunk should be shorter than the previous.

View attachment 285434

yea it looked like a snorkel.. I left the long truck to keep green on it since I had no knowledge of ash at the time.
I had cut it back last year sometime after buds down low appeared. They definitely back bud on old wood.

Here is is now.
ash.png
 

Brad in GR

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Collected what I believe is a green ash last spring (2019). Healthy throughout 2019. Saw dieback from collecting prune on one trunk, and significant dieback from my uncle who used a lopper on the main trunk in order to store boat lifts outside on the property in years past - something I need to begin addressing next year. Limited data so far but will report back. I do love the base. Good luck with yours, nice movement at the base.
 

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Brad in GR

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Update on my green ash. Roots exploded last year, collected in April, and had a hunch based on them blasting through the bottom of the container that a rare 1-year repot was in order. I was right. Awesome roots!
Made significant chops to roots and two of the three trunks and chose a future direction for this tree. Excited as the base is fantastic IMO.

could see the callousing of the base where I sawed it off flat last year - cool. Ebihara”d” to a board. Good progress.DDFAC794-03C7-43F9-8138-C30D80DA993D.jpeg026C5B12-8B49-4B1A-9552-2E2B85B3DADF.jpeg54F8D474-7CB7-4044-85A3-1D40E8357CFB.jpegD5038DA6-D42E-44B0-A460-9E1942AB8EE1.jpeg51FE069F-01BE-4A7C-9EB8-A4ABD6AE7A26.jpeg
 

RJG2

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Go easy on me, this was my first (pre) bonsai attempt. Collected from the woods years ago before I had any intention of learning bonsai. Sat in a large nursery pot in my yard for years, chopped back a couple years ago and put it in a training pot last year.

Hey, at least it survived the winter! Need to clean up the spot on the inside curve, but there are a couple large wounds there already. As I learn more about bonsai, that knee is getting less attractive to me... Threw a rock under it during the repot this spring. Might put it back in the ground and layer it someday when I'm more experienced.

IMG_20200512_100130.jpg
 

Brad in GR

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Go easy on me, this was my first (pre) bonsai attempt. Collected from the woods years ago before I had any intention of learning bonsai. Sat in a large nursery pot in my yard for years, chopped back a couple years ago and put it in a training pot last year.

Hey, at least it survived the winter! Need to clean up the spot on the inside curve, but there are a couple large wounds there already. As I learn more about bonsai, that knee is getting less attractive to me... Threw a rock under it during the repot this spring. Might put it back in the ground and layer it someday when I'm more experienced.

View attachment 302410
I like it, nice work! Cool base. Any thoughts on what species specifically?
 

Sansui

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This looks like a mountain ash (aka rowan tree or devil's tree) to me.
 

RJG2

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Any thoughts on what species specifically?

Not sure. I'm leaning toward Black Ash, as I found it in a rather boggy area. I should probably try and confirm that. I've read the terminal buds are black vs. brown for the white ash, but I don't currently have any that I can really tell.
 

Sansui

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Someone suggested that at one point too.
This one is growing in my yard. The plastic screen girdle protects the trunk from deer damage.:(
 

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Walter Pall

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European ash, Fraxinus exscelsior

Mediterranean ash, Fraxinus rotundifolia

Mountain Ash, Sorbus acuparia

Mountain ash has nothing to do with ash. It only has this name. It is related to roses while the real ashes are related to olives. Like American 'cedars' are junipers or something else, but never cedars. This is why scientific names are so important.

I treat them jus1.jpg1.jpg1.jpgt like all other trees. Nothing special.
 

Sansui

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European ash, Fraxinus exscelsior

Mediterranean ash, Fraxinus rotundifolia

Mountain Ash, Sorbus acuparia

Mountain ash has nothing to do with ash. It only has this name. It is related to roses while the real ashes are related to olives. Like American 'cedars' are junipers or something else, but never cedars. This is why scientific names are so important.

I treat them jusView attachment 302431View attachment 302432View attachment 302433t like all other trees. Nothing special.
As always, beautiful work Walter!

Alas, the only true white ash tree in my yard succumbed the ash borer beetle a couple of years ago. I'll have to go hunting for seedlings.
 

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AlainK

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Mountain ash has nothing to do with ash. It only has this name. It is related to roses while the real ashes are related to olives. Like American 'cedars' are junipers or something else, but never cedars. This is why scientific names are so important.

👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 :cool:
 
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bonsaichile

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I always ask myself 'what exceptional features does a tree have in order for me to spend time, energy and space developing it to get a place on my bench'?

eg interesting

-bark
- leaf colour (spring / autumn)
- habit
- winter image / ramification
- leaf shape / size

Our English Ash, Fraxinus Excelsior, does not have any features that make my list. Does the American Ash have more redeeming features?
Leaf color in the Fall, ranging from golden to intense red
 

defra

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I have one fraxinys excelsior.
Grew in ground from seedling and i think its one of the fastest growing tree in the ground at least.
I grew a decent size trunk in two years and dug it up yearly but then decided to keep growing it in a pot because the roots grew so hard that its imo impossible to grow a good nebari in the ground.
Wounds heal fairly eazy and leaves can be reduced but like mentioned above id also say aim for a larger tree is best way, altough i have a mame one too believe it or not this little one is 4 years old !
20221020_132253.jpg
 

AJL

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There are some great bonsai Fraxinus out there, however I personally wouldnt grow them with it due to rampant Ash Dieback disease Hymenoscyphus fraxineus in Europe and UK. eg in Denmark @80% trees are infected
Sadly its very widespread here now-, and we're probably also going to lose most of our Ash here in UK in the next few years. There are diseased Ash trees now in all the woodlands around where I live.
The Fungal spores are carried on the wind and there is no easy way of preventing it unless you're lucky enough to find those few disease resistant trees.
 
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