If you have an old, glorious ash tree in your yard, what should you do? With the emerald ash borer on the move, doing nothing is not an option. You need to either remove it or treat it.
If the tree would not cause damage if it fell, try to treat it. It will cost you about $300 every two years. But treatment over a long period is not sustainable. If you are not willing or able to make that commitment, I suggest removing the tree now.
Twenty years ago it was a diverse forest. So full you could not see into it. So many species of trees; birch, beach, oak, ash and tulip trees. The understory was also full with viburnum, chokeberry, witch hazel and azaleas. Today most of the native understory has been eaten by an out of control deer population, and in its place has grown what we call exotic invasive’s.
What does your home landscape have to do with climate change, species loss and suburban ecology? Plenty. Our home landscapes are mini eco-systems. Ecosystem you say? Yes, that’s the tiny microcosm in your own yard that supports life; the beginning of the food web for insects, bees, and caterpillars up through birds and small mammals.
