Starter from an ash tree? I have an ash tree that is dying and I want?

Question

to start a new one from it. Do I just cut a twig from it and soak it in water until it roots? What about sitting it in the window or should it be in a dark area. It may not be until spring again before I will be able to plant it, does it take very long to root?

Answer 1

Cut some healthy first year shoots that are still green if there are any. If not cut shoots as young as you can find. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone or rooting gel. You lawn & garden expert can tell you what strength you need for the shoots you have. Take one in to the store. If it's too weak they won't root--if it's too strong the cut end will callus instead of root. Both are failures so get the correct strength.

Then put them in small pots of vermiculite or seeding mix. You want a growing medium that's sterile to reduce the chance of disease. Spray the leaves with a water mister 3 or 4 times a day. This is the only way the shoots can get water since they don't have roots yet. And don't let the excess water drip into the pots. You want the medium moist but not wet or soggy.

Keep it moist and in a warm place but out of the direct sun. Check occasionally by pulling out one of the starts and see if roots are starting. If not stick it back in the pot. Once you do get roots you have to gradually put more water in the pot so the roots can "learn" to take up the water and spray the leaves less often. Once that's accomplished you can move it to a brighter location and use a weak mixture of a liquid fertilizer. In the spring you should have several new starts to plant.

Plants started at your location have a better chance of making it than ones started and imported in from nurseries farther north.

Answer 2

I don't know about starting a new tree, but you may be too far south for ash trees. I live near Washington, DC. People plant ash trees, but they usually die in a year or two or three. People will plant all sorts of things, like banana trees. Occasionally one even makes it through the winter, but I've never seen one that made it through two winters.