Q.Damaged Claret Ash
I planted 10 claret ash trees a year ago & all are doing well except one that got broken off just above the top of the host rootstock. A new centre shoot grew right next to the broken off trunk & is about 1 mtr. tall now but it has leaves that are a lot larger than those on the other 9 trees. Also there are 6 other smaller shoots at ground level of the rootstock with leaves that are the same as the other 9 trees. I am confused which is claret ash & which should I prune.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Anything that is growing above the graft collar should be the Claret Ash. Anything below the graft collar will be the root stock. In trees, the graft is not always at the base of the tree. It may have been located just below the canopy and may have broken off when the tree was damaged. I would try to locate the graft collar and prune below that. If you cannot find the graft collar, it may have broken off and the whole thing will be offshoots from rootstock.
As you have similar trees in your yard, you can look on those to compare and see where the graft collar is located on those trees.