Will ash trees grow on a soggy bottoms?

crackcrack30

As above .....I will spray off rush ect and rotovate prior to planting..........

Birdnuts

crackcrack30 wrote: »

As above .....I will spray off rush ect and rotovate prior to planting..........

This is very tricky to call given that every site like this has its own unique factors of drainage and inundation potential. My view would be that you will probably be ok if your in the East of the country but ideally other species like Willow, Alder,Sessile Oak etc might be better.:)

Bizzum

Birdnuts wrote: »

This is very tricky to call given that every site like this has its own unique factors of drainage and inundation potential. My view would be that you will probably be ok if your in the East of the country but ideally other species like Willow, Alder,Sessile Oak etc might be better.:)

I was thinking much the same, (though I don't know much about sessile oak). One would really have to see the ground, but if you can travel on it to rotovate, maybe it's not too bad.........
Birch maybe as well, even sychamore depending again on the ground and what you want from it.

Birdnuts

Bizzum wrote: »

.........
Birch maybe as well, even sychamore depending again on the ground and what you want from it.

Indeed - I've seen both these produce good results in similiar situations in Cos Mayo and Roscommon:)

The_Conductor

I actually wrote my degree thesis on ash growing on different site types and elevations in Ireland.........

Ideally you want a deep moist, but *not* waterlogged site- as the ash is incredibly demanding of water early in its growing season, but intolerant of waterlogging or very acidic conditions.

Ash is very frost prone- early frost lead to epicormic forking- which if you're focusing on hurley ash, may not be relevant, though many people are also looking at turning as a secondary market for the main bole.

The more exposed the site- the more rapid the drop off in incremental growth rates- you can get ash growing in the most exposed possible locations- but you'll never get a crop from it.

Ash is strongly apically dominant- it will not tolerate overhead growth by other crops/trees, though an understorey is very common.

Let us know how it goes- I focused my studies mostly in Sligo/Roscommon/Mayo.......

pakalasa

I worked in the hurley making business myself a few years back. Was involved in the hurley breaking business too .....but enough said.:D
You need good land to grow good ash. That's what the guy I worked for always said. And he made right good ones. A true Master Craftsman.

crackcrack30

guys
The site is low-lying and rushy, It is being grazed all summer with no mess, out of 2 1/2 - 3 acres of rush about a half acre of it is soggy underfoot in winter, it leads down to a bog with no visable drainage. With regards to exposure ,no the opposite, the field is well sheltered with hills/ribbon houses and scrub on bog to rear. I'd say years of winter ring feeding/ poaching, and lack of rush spraying contributed to the condition. Thinking of digging 12 inch x 12inch deep open drains every 20feet down to the bog after rotovating, does this sound ok?
Is there a more suitable tree suitable for copicing that I could put in the soggy half acre?
Would a small fenced pond in the half acre help the situation? The lye of the land does not offer the oppertunity to dig adequate drainage on the lower end and I dont own the bog/scrub on the lower end....

greysides

Is there a more suitable tree suitable for copicing that I could put in the soggy half acre?

Hazel ?

The_Conductor

crackcrack30 wrote: »

Is there a more suitable tree suitable for copicing that I could put in the soggy half acre?

Birch would grow ok (ok, not necessarily great) on a site like this- and could potentially be coppiced on a 4-5 year rotation.......?

The fact that the site is 'rushy' as you put it- is indicative of waterlogging- which could mean that without remedial drainage works (as a minimum) that trying to grow trees, other than something incredibly shallow rooting that soaks up water- might be an exercise in frustration...........

Why do people always seem to plant trees on the worst land that they have?

blue5000

smccarrick wrote: »

Why do people always seem to plant trees on the worst land that they have?

Because the cattle would drown in/on the worst land!

Seriously though to get back to OP, mounding would be better than rotavating IMO. All sorts of weeds would germinate after rotavating, with mounds the trees would be slightly drier and the site would be easier to do good weed control on. Alder will also grow well on a wet site. Why don't you get a forester out to have a look? Greenbelt coilte etc. all have websites.

treefan

Have had a few tree species planted on very damp (not waterlogged) land and though the ash growth has been good the growth of alder has been even better. They definitely do better in sheltered locations......