Planting and Pruning Raywood Ash: Avoid Topping!

Getting Your Raywood Ash Established

Your three 15‑ft ash trees in planter boxes are likely root‑bound. Plant them now—dig holes twice the root‑ball width, same depth, backfill with quality topsoil/potting mix. Mulch 2–3 inches, keep off trunk.

Root Concerns

• Most roots stay in top 2 ft; they rarely break intact pipes unless a leak attracts them.
• Block walls and foundations are generally safe at 20+ ft distance.
• Mature spread ~25 ft (branches 12–15 ft from trunk).

Pruning: Why Topping Is a Disaster

Never top a Raywood ash. Topping (heading large branches to stubs):

• Destroys crown‑to‑root balance → starvation.
• Exposes bark to sunscald.
• Creates weak, disease‑prone water sprouts.
• Invites decay into stubs → trunk rot.
• Ruins natural form; regrowth is dense, ugly, and temporary.

Proper Size Reduction

If you must reduce height/width, use reduction cuts: shorten branches back to a lateral branch at least 1/3 the diameter of the cut stem. Start young; on a 15‑ft tree, minimal pruning is best. See ISA pruning guide.