Sick White Ash Tree?

Question

My white ash tree is not looking good. It looks thinner than other years. It has long bear braches with a cluster of leaves at the end of the branch. Is that normal? How can I fix that?

Answer 1

There are some serious things out there that could harm an ash.  Check out this site.  It is one of many that came up when "ash diseases" was put into a web search.

http://www.forestpests.org/ash/

Answer 2

White ash usually go through cycles based on the prev season's conditions.   If it was an unusually harsh winter the tree will reflect the conditions in new growth.  So, it might just be a natural cycle.  For proper matinence/growth/health of the tree proper pruning is a must.  Also white ash tree are suseptable to many insects, which might be your problem.  I suggest looking at the tree for insect damage under shedding bark or in dead limbs and treating it accordingly.