denninmi, I think I've been down some of those streets while visiting your side of the state. In some areas it is very obvious that there have been massive tree die offs. As we travel along the main highways to visit relatives in Ohio and Pennsylvania it is obvious when we reach areas where EAB is rampant. One, if not the first, outbreak in the west side of the state is thought to have started at a shopping center a few miles from our home. From what I've heard, ash trees for landscaping were brought in from a SE Michigan nursery which was not supposed to be shipping any ash trees at the time. And, not surprisingly, they were infected with the borers. The city responded by cutting all ash trees within a certain distance...maybe a mile out, I can't remember the exact distance, but it was a large area. For weeks crews were cutting and chipping trees from yards and parks. And yet it did not look like a clear cut because there are alot of other species in the area. It did not surprise me when other infestations were found soon afterwards in other parts of the city. It seems like cutting and quarantine come too late to stop this critter. Like denninmi mentioned, there are some homeowner control methods that are looking very promising. A business park and a college campus outside the quarantine area took preventive action before any other EAB sites were found. They had key landscape trees identified and began have them treated regularly. Both places still have healthy ashes while most other places have lost some key specimens. Around here there is a group working hard to get up to date info out to homeowners. I got a strange look when I told my husband I was going to be attending a "Save Your Ash" workshop put on by a local environmental group. University researchers told of their latest findings, arborist told of their treatment methods, and city foresters told of options available to homeowners. A final part covered cultural impacts, something I hadn't considered. A Native American who is a renowned basket maker shared how his heritage is threatened by the possible extinction of black ash trees. His family's traditional harvesting swampland is unaffected as yet, but he was extremely concerned about the very likely loss of an age old cultural tradition. Black ash logs can be beaten, and the wood will separate between the growth rings. It is then cut into the weaving strips needed for baskets. No other wood works as well. He had the best business card I've ever seen. A clear label with his business info was applied to a paper thin piece of his basket making black ash splint and cut to card size. I hope his children can have the some card materials 30 years from now, but I'm fearful that will not be possible.

We had a very mild spell of early winter last year and many buds that were formed early succumbed to the winter freeze that arrived in mid January. Many ashes produced not as many leaves, not as many flowers on Mountain Ashes and other trees as well. Just because a tree doesn't leaf out as well one year when it has always in the past, is no reason to suspect the tree has been invaded by a pest and should be removed. I have no idea about Minnesota but you might have tried to treat the tree with a systemic if you had thought something may have invaded. From such evidence that would have shown up....an early diagnosis that resulted in the loss of the tree was much too drastic an action without proof it would have caused problems ...for it and other trees.

David, unfortunately my recent checks about a month ago weren't helpful in identifying this fungal pathogen, so it continues to devastate trees and shrubs. Not just blue spruce trees are affected, but so are maple trees and oaks, and people around here are having many of them cut down. Just last month my two neighbors had 5 of these large trees cut down. Mountain ash trees are dying too. And I'd say that 50% of the white pines in this area (southern New Hampshire) are either dead or in decline from this disease. I don't spray mine since I consider them somewhat of a weed, and mine are slowly and continuously losing needles. I expect them to die within a few years. The good news is that this year I've kept up spraying with Mancozeb every two weeks since May 1st. Every tree and shrub I've sprayed (where my spray can reach the foliage) is very healthy. I'm now also working on my grown son's 4 dying spruce trees to see if I can restart growth on the now bare trunk and on other branches. But don't try a "ground drench" with Propiconazole - I tried that last year and it killed off beneficial ground bacteria, harming the trees & shrubs. Fortunately, they're recovering this year with fertilizer and spraying. Norway spruce and linden trees seem to resist this disease best.

Loosing it's leaves isn't the end of the world. Main thing is to find out what's causing the stress. Root flare is a good start because it's the single most thing done wrong when trees are planted. Sap Suckers too have a way of attacking trees that are stressed for some reason. Thinner bark? Thicker sap? Who knows... Yes, piling finely cut, wet grass deep enough, could suffocate the roots or at least limit the amount of oxygen able to penetrate the ground, adding stress. Also invites various molds to spawn. Limited amounts that are allowed to decompose before more is added wouldn't hurt anything but even then, you don't want to do it so much that it would increase the thickness of the ground above the roots, which puts the roots deeper into the ground than they like to be. Roots need air as well as water. Grass clippings and leaves when decomposed make excellent compost btw.