Where Have All the Ash Keys Gone?

[Goatboy]

Hiya,

It seems to be shaping up for being a mast year this year, even the solitary sweet chestnut round here looks heavy with plump (for Scotland) nuts.

But what I have noticed in my travels is that not a single ash tree seems to have produced any keys this year. Plenty old ones on the trees but no new ones.

Was wondering if this was the same elsewhere?

Cheers GB.

 

[bambodoggy]

I haven't worked on many Ash trees this year so haven't noticed but I'll keep an eye out

I noticed a major glut on acorns last year but certainly round here there are very few on the trees compared to normal....pretty much everything else seems to be having a Mast year though.

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[JonathanD]

Same here. Hardly any acorns around this year.

 

[redneck]

loads of mast, virtually no keys.. (exact opposite of last year)

 

[British Red]

Same here.....

 

[Goatboy]

Cheers folks, was wondering if it was a local thing or nationwide. Someone I know wanted me to make them pickled Ash Keys. They taste a bit like capers - not a favourite of mine. Still luckily everything else seems overflowing with goodness to give the promise of a bountiful autumn. I do like a good hedgerow feed!

 

[Nice65]

Ash always seem to be a bit out of sync, last in leaf, last to drop. It's why it's successful.

Ash keys last well in the leaf litter and don't usually germinate the next season, they like a bit longer. Maybe all the keys last year will sit until next season or more. We generally reckoned on 18 months before the seed became viable. Then, they grow like weeds

 

[Rosahane]

Same here in Kildare,

Enormous amount of Seeds on Beech, Horse Chestnut, Lime and Maple. Also on the solitary Walnut and Sweet Chestnut that I know - they are not very common over here.

Very occasional Acorns where they were numerous last year and virtually nothing on the Ash.

In the hedgerows it has been a very fruitful year for berries and plums that are usually killed by late frosts.

The damson trees at my Mother's house look like grapevines, hanging with more fruit than I have seen in over 50 years.

 

[Goatboy]

Opps, something I should've known since I was a forester, I didn't know ash could be male one year and female the next.

"...The flowers open before the leaves, the female flowers being somewhat longer than the male flowers; they are dark purple, and without petals, and are wind-pollinated. Both male and female flowers can occur on the same tree, but it is more common to find all male and all female trees; a tree that is all male one year can produce female flowers the next, and similarly a female tree can become male. The fruit is a samara 2.5-4.5 cm long and 5–8 mm broad, often hanging in bunches through the winter; they are often called 'ash keys'. If the fruit is gathered and planted when it is still green and not fully ripe, it will germinate straight away, however once the fruit is brown and fully ripe, it will not germinate until 18 months after sowing (i.e. not until two winters have passed)..." Courtesy of Wikipedia.