I have an old Mountain Ash in my backyard of the house I bought 2 years ago. I don't know HOW old it is though. Anyways, I've got some dead branches. Some of the dead branches are only dead on the last 3 or 4 feet of the branch. Can I just cut the dead part of the branch off or do you cut the whole branch from where it grows out of the main branch? I also cut off all the tiny lit new shoot branches that were coming out of the lower 6 feet or so of the main trunk. These were little thin green branches maybe 1 or 2 feet in length. So also if I've got a branch that's growing out in a place I don't want it, for example one branch is growing out right over an above ground pool. Can I just cut it off? Do you cut it off anywhere or cut the whole branch off? Also. Should I prune it only in the winter or is it ok to do now or later in the fall? Thanks :)

I have five Ash trees. And two of them won't make it to 2018 because of Emerald Ash Borers. Only about 1/2 of the branches are populated with leaves. I'm sure the remaining trees will only be around a few more years because I can see Borer damage already. I've been treating them with an insecticide from TSC for a few years, but I question the effectiveness. Anyhoo, how crazy is it to think that I can plant some of the seed pods in order to get some saplings to start over? Maybe in ten years, there will be a better way to keep these guys alive. (People say I'm very patient! ) Is this possible? How should I plant?