Hi folks! I have been searching the web for weeks looking for answers I hope this is the right place I have a 8-10 yr(?) old maple that seems to be in distress the top 1/2 has no leaves. Last year I didn’t notice any issue, although the leaves held on longer then usual. I’m in Edmonton AB so we have cold winters but last year was pretty mild other then a brutal -40 week. Any idea what could cause this? Is this tree lost? I was planning on getting it pruned this year but now don’t want to add to its distress. I apologize for my photography skills. I’m willing to do whatever it takes we love this little guy! Any help is appreciated.
Good morning and welcome to the maples forum community. Your tree is being slowly but surely strangled to death by the girdling root that you show in photo 2. This needs to be removed to save your Red maple. Also I see fabric covering the surrounding area under the canopy, this also should be removed. It does nothing for those shallow roots other than starve them of oxygen etc etc. The soil under this matting will be claggy and probably smelly. IMO do not use this fabric near trees. The rock you have shown IMO should also be removed away from the tree and definatly from under the canopy. Maples are shallow rooting and therefore do not like anything covering the roots other than a nice bark mulch. This you have, so that can be replaced after the other steps are taken. Regarding the timing of the removal of the grirdling roots. I would usually say when the tree is dormant. But in this case I would carry this out ASAP as your tree is going to die without this surgery. D
Hi Acerholic thanks for your quick response thats is very helpful. This is how we inherited the tree so I never even considered the black paper could be damaging. I will definitely remove it. As for the root, based on your diagnosis I did some googling and watched a couple YouTube videos haha it seems like this is something I could do. Dig around a bit and carefully cut the root without damaging the trunk. Maybe while I’m down there make sure there isn’t too many other roots doing the same girdling. However if you think an arborist is better please let me know. Thanks again for your help.
Tbh, as you have watched a video on how to do it and it really is not that difficult then I would say go for it. You must ensure you don't damage the trunk and if there are other roots that appear to be going the same route, ie circling the trunk then remove them as well. Once done give the tree a good water around the area that the canopy covers and then cover with the bark mulch. It is then down to a waiting game I'm afraid, but at least you have given it a fighting chance. D
Hi Again, I was able to complete the surgery! It doesn’t look like any damage was done to the trunk. I’ve posted a couple pics. I have a couple more questions Do I need to cover the cut ends of the root with some sort of protectant? You’ll notice the other roots are quite tangled should I clear those up now or wait a year for the tree to (hopefully) recover from the major cut I did today? Pic 1- Before Pic 2- After Pic 3- The Culprit Pic 4- Other side of tree Sorry for all the questions Thanks again
Well done for carrying out the surgery. I would leave the rest and just lightly cover with a bark mulch. You can check again in the late Winter if any more needs to be cut away. But what I can see, then all are going away from the trunk nicely. D
Yes, I agree, well done. But I don't think this was the cause for the top of your tree having died. It is striking how everything above a certain level from the ground is now dead. It is as though there was a dry wind during the winter a little distance above the ground and not below - it is very hard for me to conceive of how such a thing could happen.
What is a girdling root? Is it from another tree or is it from the tree itself but just growing in a deformed way? Self-strangling? :)
It is its own roots strangling itself. Often caused by planting too deep and in a circular hole straight from the pot.
