I have five Ash trees. And two of them won't make it to 2018 because of Emerald Ash Borers. Only about 1/2 of the branches are populated with leaves. I'm sure the remaining trees will only be around a few more years because I can see Borer damage already. I've been treating them with an insecticide from TSC for a few years, but I question the effectiveness.

Anyhoo, how crazy is it to think that I can plant some of the seed pods in order to get some saplings to start over? Maybe in ten years, there will be a better way to keep these guys alive. (People say I'm very patient! )

Is this possible? How should I plant?

 

I've used two methods with success. One is to not mow underneath a tree. Then when seedlings appear I transplant them to pots. This works best when you dig the seedlings when they are small and make sure you dig deep. It's not unusual for a tiny seedling to have roots down 6-9".

Another method is to collect some seeds from the tree and plant them. I usually do many seeds per pot. I'll plant 2 or 3 a couple inches deep, 2 or 3 an inch deep, 2 or 3 1/2" down and then a few on the surface. In general the larger the seed the deeper I'll tend to plant them. Then when they sprout I'll let three or four appear and thin out the weaker ones leaving only the one strongest. It's important to use a tall pot as the roots will go surprisingly deep.