A long hedgerows, in woodland and among noble, stand-alone trees in fields, ash trees are dying. Their demise begins as scorched, blackened leaves on branch tips and then the stem dies back. Bare sections of dead branches develop in the tree canopy. Sooner or later, the whole tree is in its final death throes. This is Chalara ash dieback, the rampant disease caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. This fungus grows in the tree’s water transport cells, blocking them so that the stems gradually die for lack of water and nutrients.
A RAMPANT KILLER
While the species of ash tree in Asia, where the disease originates, have resistance to dieback, the native British ash (Fraxinus excelsior) has none. Since the arrival of ash dieback in the UK in the early 2000s via wind-borne spores from Europe, the disease has spread rampantly across the country. A Forestry Commission survey in 2018 found that 68% of 10km grid squares in England had confirmed cases of ash dieback, rising to 80% in Wales.
“It’s extensive,” Nicola Spence, Defra’s chief plant health officer, confirmed. “There’s a higher density in the east, which is in a direct line for the spores from Europe and where the climatic conditions favour the disease. Where the trees are already under stress, with high temperatures, drought or suchlike, they succumb much faster. But ash dieback is now in most parts of the country, and all counties.”
One county where ash dieback is especially noticed by smallholders is Devon, where 100% of the 10km grid squares in the Forestry Commission survey have ash dieback.
“I first noticed ash dieback in 2018, and the trees are taking a year or two to die,” said Chris Murray from Pennywell Farm near Buckfastleigh. “It started with one and is now many. They’re 24 years old or less.”
Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
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Denne historien er fra November 2019-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
The legacy of The Good Life
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job
Tools of the trade
In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs
Buying on a tight budget
As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities
Crazy for crafts
In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures
Game on
A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century