DescriptionPlanting InstructionsAfter CareDelivery & Guarantee
Ash Plants - Delivered by Mail Order from the Nursery with a 1 Year Guarantee
Common Ash, Fraxinus excelsior, is a hardy, fast growing, fairly large native tree. It will grow in any soil type, including damp places and fertile sites on the coast.
Ash is not suitable for a clipped hedge but is is a fantastic tree for coppicing. It also can be grown as a screening tree up to about 20 metres high.
The plants on this page are young saplings. You can also buy larger Ash trees here.
Ash plants are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-March).
Choosing a size: When you are ordering a large quantity of Ash for a big planting project, we suggest that you buy smaller plants. They are cheaper and easier to handle than large plants. If you plan on starting an Ash coppice, we recommend ordering the 60/80cm tall plants.
General description of Fraxinus excelsior plants:
Common Names: Common Ash is not to be confused with Mountain Ash (also known as Rowan). They are not related.
The deep green, pinnate foliage turns yellow in the autumn and falls at the first autumn frost, exposing the distinctive black buds along the grey stems. Ash also produces clusters of winged seeds that are a source of winter food for birds.
History & uses of Fraxinus excelsior
Ash is one of the most commonly planted coppice wood trees for harvesting firewood. The wood is dense and dry and burns well with no seasoning, although you will get even better heat from seasoned wood; seasoned wood is also best for barbecues. The name Ash comes from the Old English word for spear: in ancient times, it would surely have been the best material for the job. The wood is also elastic enough to be suitable for building bows. These days, Ash wood is more likely to be used for guitars, baseball bats and cricket stumps. Despite its strength, it is a poor choice for building outdoor furniture as it rots easily in damp conditions.
The ancient Norse believed in a supernatural tree called Yggdrasill, from which the god Odin hanged himself. Norse scholars today reckon that Yggdrasill was either an Ash or Yew tree.
Notes on planting Ash:
Ash trees will grow well in pretty much any soil conditions, including damp places that are prone to waterlogging. They are suitable for planting in exposed sites near the coast, but they will not grow well if the soil is too sandy and infertile. They are not suitable for very shady locations.
Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you intend to plant several months in advance. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and a glyphosate based weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades.
If you have a heavy clay soil, it might be too difficult to dig over for most of the year. Heavy clay is fertile soil, so you can get away without improving the soil by digging and only killing the weeds.
Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.
Planting accessories:
If you are planting in an area with rabbit and/or deer, you will need to use a protective plastic spiral for each plant, supported by a bamboo cane.
We recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of all new plants, especially if your soil is poorly fertile.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and National Growmore.
After you plant your Ash trees, the most important thing to do is water them in dry weather. If you didn't use mulch of some kind, you will also need to weed around the plants. Both of these will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
Special notes on caring for Ash:
Ash is a very tough plant that shouldn't need special attention once it has established. If pruning is necessary, it is best do it in winter. Always hire a tree surgeon to remove large branches.
Hygiene & Diseases:
Dead, damaged or diseased wood can be pruned off as soon as it appears.
Disinfect your pruning tools between every cut if there is any sign of disease.
Burn or dispose of any diseased material, do not compost it.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
Delivery: The basic delivery charge for orders of bareroot plants is £9.49 + vat, which increases to £12.55 + vat if you add any pot-grown plants, standard trees or fruit trees to the order.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
You can choose the delivery week that suits you during checkout and we will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.
Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.
Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.
Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.
Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.
Your 12 Month Guarantee
If any plants die within a year, we replace them if you have followed our instructions. You only pay for
the delivery of the replacements.
Place an order for £250 excluding VAT and delivery and we deliver it for FREE!
Bare-root Plants are only delivered in the winter season, from November to March. Pot grown plants can be delivered all year round
Advantages of Bare-root plants:
You pay less for the same size plants.
You can carry and plan them easily.
You only plant them in winter, so they need less maintenance after
planting. The rain will water them for their first few months.
You get the biggest selection: Many trees are not sold pot-grown.
They are "asleep" in winter - this is the best time to transplant any tree.
They use fewer fertilisers & fungicides, less water and fuel in their production & delivery.
Advantages of Pot Grown plants:
Pot grown plants can be delivered & planted all year round.
Plants with tender roots & larger specimens must be delivered in pots.
Plants in pots can be kept for months longer if there is a delay in planting.
Our Advice to You:
If you can't wait to get planting, order Pot grown plants now.
If you are not in a hurry, order bare-root plants for delivery this winter. Simply add them to your basket and choose a winter delivery date that suits you during checkout.
This will reserve your plants before they sell out.
We won't charge you until the day before delivery, so cancelling your order is always easy.
If you are only ordering chemicals and other small items, delivery is £3.50
Our delivery charge for most bareroot plants is £9.49 + VAT.
If your order contains any standard sized trees, fruit trees or pot-grown plants, then the delivery charge is £12.55 + VAT in TOTAL.
If you live in the Scottish Highlands or the Isle of Wight, there will be an extra charge of £15 + VAT on top of the appropriate basic charge, as listed above.
If your order is over £250 exc. VAT, there will be no delivery charge.
If you are uncertain, just add items to your basket which will calculate the basic shipping charge for you.
