What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

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leo383
Posts: 569
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 8:36 pm
Location: Durham, NC

What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by leo383 »

We have 4 maple trees in our yard. Three of them are doing beautifully, one is not. The trees are a little older than 5 years old.

Image

Any input on what this might be? It was a little like this last year, but this summer the tree looks like it is trying to get away from its own bark.
livesoft
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by livesoft »

I don't know, but does it go from very, very dry to soaking wet and back in that location? Or, what is different about this location in the yard compared to the other locations? Show us photos of the other trees, too.
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Topic Author
leo383
Posts: 569
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Location: Durham, NC

Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by leo383 »

This is one of the healthy trees. Maybe 15 feet from the unhealthy one. As far as I can tell, there is no moisture/sun/soil difference between the trees.

The unhealthy tree just has never thrived like the others.

Image
livesoft
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by livesoft »

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02937.html

I'd remove the tree and have it destroyed before the other trees are infected. You should get your money back from the nursery that sold you the tree.
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mss
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:05 pm

Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by mss »

Leo:

I don't know specifically what is causing the bark to peel off, but I do see something that will definitely eventually cause problems: Your trees appear to be planted too deeply in the ground, which is a very common problem. You should be able to see the flare at the bottom of the tree, i.e., it should not look like a pipe sticking out of the ground. This is because the tree down to the bottom of the flare is bark, not root. There is lot's of info on the web regarding this issue. Here are a couple of links:

http://enjoytimeoutdoors.com/2011/04/maple-tree-cpr/

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/urban/f ... fault.aspx

Good luck,
Mark
Last edited by mss on Wed Aug 14, 2013 10:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
hicabob
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by hicabob »

mss wrote:Leo:

I don't know specifically what is causing the bark to peel off, but I do see something that will definitely eventually cause problems: Your trees appear to be planted to deeply in the ground, which is a very common problem. You should be able to see the flare at the bottom of the tree, i.e., it should not look like a pipe sticking out of the ground. This is because the tree down to the bottom of the flare is bark, not root. There is lot's of info on the web regarding this issue. Here are a couple of links:

http://enjoytimeoutdoors.com/2011/04/maple-tree-cpr/

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/urban/f ... fault.aspx

Good luck,
Mark
Looked like that to me too. It rots the bottom of the tree killing it - "operator error" perhaps, not the nursery?
jebmke
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by jebmke »

mss wrote:Your trees appear to be planted to deeply in the ground, which is a very common problem. You should be able to see the flare at the bottom of the tree, i.e., it should not look like a pipe sticking out of the ground. This is because the tree down to the bottom of the flare is bark, not root.
This is especially an issue when planting in clay soil -- the water collects around the root ball and the tree is basically sitting in water. In our area we plant with a slight crown in the soil so the water runs away from the trunk of the tree. No bowl shaped tree rings.
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The Wizard
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Location: Reading, MA

Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by The Wizard »

The first maple tree is now FIREWOOD.
Cut it down and into 18" lengths...
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tim1999
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by tim1999 »

It will probably die a slow death and never amount to much.

What appears to be your neighbor (judging from the difference in grass heights in the first pic) has one ugly lawn...
Minot
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by Minot »

Try googling maple split bark. The 1st three items indicate that it's likely due to environmental causes such as frost or sun scald, rather than disease, and your tree may do OK with it.
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zaplunken
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by zaplunken »

Was it struck by lightening? When a tree is struck they have a grove down the trunk as I see on yours.
tomd37
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by tomd37 »

I have a couple of trees on my property that have been hit by lightning and have very similar markings as does your tree. That would be my inclination.
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michaelsieg
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by michaelsieg »

I agree with Mark (mss) - it looks like even on your healthy tree that you have a lot of mulch fairly high up to the trunk - it you do that a few years in a row without removing the old mulch you can get too much moisture to the trunk that can cause the peeling/rotting of the bark. I have a similar problem with an about 20 year old Maple and removed all the mulch around the trunk down to the flare - the bark looks definitely better now, but the tree has not yet fully recovered, but I hope it will over the next 1-2 years. Not sure you can save this one, but I would remove/thin out the mulch touching the trunks of all your maples, including the health ones, so they don't get the same problem.
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daytona084
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by daytona084 »

Minot wrote:Try googling maple split bark. The 1st three items indicate that it's likely due to environmental causes such as frost or sun scald, rather than disease, and your tree may do OK with it.
I agree. I have a maple with similar large split bark. It happened several years ago and it's slowly healing. I do not think the tree is diseased.
island
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Re: What is Wrong with My Maple Tree?

Post by island »

Beats me, but www.gardenweb.com is a great place to post home and garden questions. Many forums covering a variety of topics.
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