alpineart wrote: i like the progression of the aging bark up into the apex .Plenty of work done there , and plenty more too come . I must have been up that creek again , i missed this post .
Hi Alpine, Yes it is rewarding watching the bark mature. I am looking forward to it extending out to the branches. This experience definitely creates a bond between you and the tree.
Stewart_Toowoomba wrote: From looking at your tree, do you trim to the first pair of leaves in the stem structure? If so, does this help to get leaf reduction? would the Fr. G have the same growing traits as the desert Ash?
Hi Stewart, yes i do, i defoliate this tree once a year and periodically trim it back to the first set of leaves.I find this does keep the leaf size down. I should have let the new branches retain their foliage but it makes the tree look really unkempt

You have to be really disciplined to be futuristic with your trees. I do not think there would be a large difference growing and maintaining Ash.
"Advice is rarely welcome, and the one's who need it the most welcome it the least"