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Pruning guide · Broadleaf tree
Ash: when and how to prune
Fraxinus excelsior
Ash is best pruned in November–March.
| Pruning months | November–March |
|---|---|
| Nesting season (15 March–15 August) | Take care in March |
| Flowering | April |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for butterflies and birds |
| Native to Belgium | Yes |
Ash: when to prune it?
Dead, diseased and broken branches can be removed at any time of year. Formative pruning and pollarding during winter dormancy.
Prune while dormant, from November to March, but not in freezing weather.
What else to prune in those months? January · February · March · November · December
Ash: how to prune it?
- Trees with ash dieback shed dead branches: check trees along roads and paths for safety.
- Pollard an ash every 5–10 years: saw off all the branches just above the head.
- Train a young tree on a single trunk and remove competing leaders in good time.
How much to cut, and how often?
- One pruning period a year: November–March.
- Pollarding: every 3 to 7 years, cut all branches back to the head, in winter.
- Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.
What does it mean for wildlife?
- Pruning in March can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
- Host plant: caterpillars of butterflies or moths eat the leaves.
- In June–July birds eat the fruit: leave some on the plant or on the ground.
- As a native plant, it feeds more insects than a non-native species.
- Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.
Common mistakes
- Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
- Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.
Caution: Don’t climb into a diseased ash yourself: dead ash wood quickly becomes brittle. Have large or diseased trees pruned or felled by an arborist.
Nearby: related pruning guides
Similar to: Difference from rowan · Difference from elder · Difference from tree of heaven · Difference from Japanese pagoda tree · Difference from manna ash · Difference from box elder
This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.