I dunno if this is the right place to post this, but, hey, whatev.
We’ve got three maple trees in our yard, and they’re not inspiring a lot of confidence, but I know nada about trees. Two have each dropped a large branch in the last couple of years (one just yesterday), and the third has a big wound at the base of the trunk where an old second trunk was badly removed and then rotted away. I think they’re silver maples, but I’m not sure; maybe someone can ID them better than I can. I’m wondering if we should have them more professionally evaluated.
Wifey put together some pics here:
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/1900725
Thanks fer yer knowin’.
did
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Maple Trees= pear Thrip. They tend to rot from inside out. The wood rots very fast. get help, call mr. stihl. jeffysan
I can't tell for sure without looking at the leaves, but I think they are silver maples. Are the leaves light on the underside, almost silver, and more deeply cut that an average maple leaf?
They have a reputation as being pretty weak in high winds. I can't imagine that any pro would tell you that the tree with the large cavity in it shouldn't be taken down.
You can post the pics over at "over the fence" for a more positive identification.
I'm not tree expert, but growing up, we had about half a dozen silver maples just like this on our property. I'm almost 40 now, and all those trees are gone. They died and rotted away.
I love trees, and I think maples are beautiful, but my recollection of maples is that they are always dropping limbs and dying. It's time to research what trees will grow well in your area, and are hardy. Then plant a bunch of them. Even if you get the pros to come out and take care of these maples, they aren't going to be around for much longer. Plant something else now so when the maples are gone, you'll at least have a head start.
Edited 9/18/2006 12:24 pm ET by glatt
The one with the rot should go without any further thought, even if you keep the other. If it's a silver maple prune at the base about 1" above grade.
I'm not an expert, but i do have a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. They are Acer saccharinum (Silver maples). If it were a differnt tree, I would suspect soil coditions, but the siver maples especially are flood plain species which means they can take the driest of dry spells and the dapest of damp. They do however have a tendency to be the "dirtiest" of all the maples. By this I mean that they continuously drop twigs and branches. Your branches are a different story. They should not drop branches of that size for no reason. It appears to be wind damage, but there is no way of telling without witnessing it. The break should be properly pruned if you hope to save the tree. the other one isn't necessarily a liability yet, but it will die from that wound at it's base. It is certainly weaker than it should be and if it's near your house, it should be taken down. the last poster mentioned removing it to 1 inch above grade. This is a good suggestion becasue it will encourage it to sprout up a new set of trees all around the old trunk. From these sprouts, you can pick the most vigorous and remove the rest. In about 25 years, you'll have your tree back :)
I wasn't thinking of letting it resprout after pruning at ground level. The stump will rot even though there will be new growth and cause an even greater problem:a tree that appears to be strong but has a very weak base.
I think Silver Maples are a poor choice of tree all around. They grow too fast to have any strength and the roots come to the surface very early compared to other maples (whose roots will also come to the surface but later in their life).
To prevent the sprouts I've found that after making the flush cut pour some full strength round-up (purple lid) or the strongest that you have on the stump and use an old/cheap paint brush to ensure an even coat. I've done this to sweetgums which are notorious for resprouting with 100% performance so far.
Hey Did,
The others are giving good poop. Cut'em down. Although the birch looks like it poses no threat.
I just bid on a place that had several pretty large maples. (Larger than yours by twice) I pulled my bid. One branch, roughly 12" was on the roof and more were lookin to come down. Not to mention almost all the sidewalks were in need of replacement due to roots uplifting the concrete. I'd get rid of them. I am a Pecan man myself. Have a couple on order now for my place. But they have some similar problems. Just plant them far enough away and in a few years you plop yourself in a lounge chair and drink beer and eat fresh pecans. But they do take some maintenance. But they shade great and are just the best trees esthetically. (Did I spell that right?)
Good luck.
KD
Try posting at arboristsite.com. I've always gotten good advice there.
I'd cut down what could fall on the house and what could fall on the kids in a play area, otherwise have a couple of bigleaf maple with as big of cavities and the're still standing 40 years later.
Here is my guess: Maples are a fast growing tree with a somewhat short life cycle.
maples are fast growing and will continue to grow through out the season becasue they do not produce apical buds like alot of other trees. Like others have noted, fast growing also means fast dying. It's nothing like the lombardi poplar, those nasty flowering pear trees, or even the Norway maple which is illegalto plant in some states. But they aren't long lived in comparison to something like an oak or a beech. The silvers also are known for weak crotches which makes them candidates for wind damage. As far as killing the stump, I've heard of people using the round up on the fresh cut with success, but another method that would be cheaper is to cut it as low as possible even a few inches below grade, and dump a bag of powederd lyme on it. the kind people sue for their lawns. this will help decay the stump rapidly.