At this point we are using a therapeutic insecticide (TreeAge).  This material is extremely effective, remains effective at least 2 years and is injected directly into the tree. Also worth noting, with the information we have in hand, treatments are ongoing for the life of the tree.  You cannot skip a year.

The point of this post is to treat your ash tree while they still look good.  Don’t wait until they show signs of dieback.   They will take years to recover from this dieback after treatments.   Many people don’t realize they don’t have an ash tree in their yard.   It is free to ID the trees in your yard.

Mike D

I think my tree is infested…what is a good telltale sign?
You can typically tell a likely EAB infestation by woodpecker damage from woodpeckers trying to get at the larvae under the bark. 

I am ready to save my tree. Is it worth it? What are its chances of survival?
If your tree provides significant aesthetics and/or shade, you may consider making an initial investment.  At this point of infestation there is only one viable treatment; Tree-Age,  a therapeutic insecticide injected directly into the tree.  It remains effective for at least 2 years.   

If the tree shows signs of leafing out in the majority of the canopy, we would treat it.  Chances of saving it are good (researchers have said if it more than 50% alive, treat it.)   Research has shown trees injected continue to dieback for the remainder of the first year of treatment and start to bounce back and put on new growth after that first year.

Do you offer any type of warranty on ash tree treatments?
We don’t have any warranties of performance with our ash tree treatments.  However, we do prescribe to the best research information available. If we think it is worth saving, we will do our best to save it.  We would never recommend treating an ash tree that we think will ultimately die.

A few things we typically see and look for:

• Do you have a sprinkler system?  If so, utilize no more than once a week.  Soak the ground and allow it to dry out in between waterings.
• The larger tree sounds normal, unless you get wholesale dieback.  Allow the dead stuff dry out and prune it off where it joins the living branches. Don’t leave any dead stubs.  Just pruning that out will improve the appearance of the tree.  Get a small glass of wine, stand on a short ladders (short ladders work best when drinking wine) and some evening after work, chill out pruning your redbud. Take about a week to do the entire tree.
• Do  not be concerned with fertilization. 
• Remove any sod surrounding the tree…close to the tree, within 2-3′.  Install a shallow layer of mulch.  Grass competes with nutrients and water with the tree.
• Mulch is always a big issue that is typically overdone.  Remove any mulch that is more than 1.5-2″ thick.
• You may want to hire a professional to cut the broken section from the smaller tree.
• Redbuds will grow fairly slow and take decades to reach their zenith.  They are prone to periodic dieback of smaller branches, such as you have described.  That adds to their assymetrical appearance and is part of their appeal.