Is my huge maple tree dying?
Question:I had the tree pruned in the late winter after the crazy ice storms damaged many limbs. It blossomed in the spring but then we had a week stretch of really unseasonably cold weather. Now, in the middle of healthy looking patches of leaves many are dying and falling. Also, some of the barks appears to be shedding. Should I worry?
Answers:
We had the same freeze in Ohio. Many plants and trees were froze and stressed out. Give it time. Check it next year. Hopefully that won't happen again. My Cherry tree is finally making a comeback.
Bark shedding is a very bad thing. It is the bark that protects the tree from natural damage--sort of like our skin.
If you really want to keep your huge old maple tree, I suggest that you consult an arborist, and see what he says may be done for it. He may suggest deep root fertilizing and watering just to give the tree a nice boost in nutrients. He SHOULD get right up into the tree and check out the areas that are shedding bark. Hopefully you don't have any sort of borer beetle problem!
we have had a large number of trees do that here this spring (toronto canada) ...from what i have been told...the warm spell then the shocking cold hurt the trees...they will recovery but may not be up to par this year
i dont think the whole tree will die on you, it froze pretty badly and after a trim and budding is not good . sounds like you are going to loose a few good sized limbs that were cut but the tree should return next spring. just make sure you get the dead limbs removed before they fall on someone next summer !
If you want the tree to be healthy, you might think about having it pruned lower, and take all the dead stuff off it. Usually, the tree will come back.
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