You've done your homework. You are correct about the way to remove the limb stub, and yes (from what I've heard and believe) the l.c.f. should help if applied correctly.

2 inches is NOT a large wound .... a 24 inch cut would be a large wound on a mature tree ...

i am of the opinion that the tree will heal itself.. especially a young one like this...

though the fungicide might be of value.. frankly .. i dont think you need it ...

i would not waste money on the stuff.. unless you have it.. and then i would apply such according to the label... IF IT IS LISTED AS A PROPER APPLICATION ...

ken

Here's what to do. Get yourself a good chainsaw, and prune the tree about an inch above the ground. ;-)

Ken, please read my post again. 2' = 24" = 2ft.

A four foot diameter trunked Silver maple must be very tall, and at least 15-20 years old. If that is true then I imagine the tree drops branches all the time. Infact probably every time a storm blows through.

True, not much of that breakage is commonly seen to be as bad as the 8 feet long spit in the two feet thick branch; still, the tree must be a real pain about littering the area with debris, and from lots of even pencil thick sized branch failures.

Hair,

Are you saying that no tree at all is better than a 4' silver maple? They may not be the ideal tree, but if the tree is in good shape other than the limb that was removed, I would think many people would choose to keep it.

Ken,

"i would not waste money on the stuff.. unless you have it.. and then i would apply such according to the label... IF IT IS LISTED AS A PROPER APPLICATION"

Have you read Spruce's posts? This idea is cutting edge stuff (-; and not a standard recommended use of the chemical. Just because it's not a standard use, doesn't mean it's a bad idea. Don't knock it until you try it (or at least until you read up on it). Chemicals, and especially medicines, are frequently found to be much more valuable as cures for problems other than what they were originally intended to solve.

Ah........the Silver Maple.

Just about every baby boomer child got one every Arbor Day at their school, to take home to have dad plant in the yard somewhere.

In hindsight...I'll bet the whole thing was just a CONSPIRACY by unified tree trimmers, then known as the 'National Arborists Association', that is now TCIA, or otherwise known as today's Tree Care Industry Association.

Acer saccharinum is the absolute COCKROACH among trees, especially when it comes to compatibility with human activity over time.
The only other tree that compares in its ugliness is Ailanthus altissima.

hit4show,
Sounds like you have a good handle on what needs to be done. Just follow your own line of logic, and you will give yourself the best chance to keep the tree that you can. As for the Silver Maple haters, it is you tree, and if you like it, then by all means do everything you can to save it. I know/have know a great many people that LOVE their Silver Maples as problem free great shade producing trees that get to a useful size quickly. Some will criticize them for having a life span of 60-100 years. So how many of them be alive in 60-100 years. When I plant trees, I plant them for me, and not for someone else 50 years from now, that may just hate it and cut it down. Besides what tree doesn't lose a few small limbs in a good storm? If they fell off 4-5 day, that would be one thing, but during a occasional thunderstorm, or windy day.... so what. Just my 2 depreciated pennies. Let us know how the tree does.

Arktrees

hit4show asked for the best advice to save HIS/HER tree. hit4show did not ask you opinion of HIS/HER tree, or what you thought of the species in general. I personally have NO love of cedars/junipers, but that does not give me the right to start spreading crap about them, or rocking on those who like them.

Or it could be seen as giving them a heads up. The tree might possibly be starting to break up. Having a certified arborist look at it could be a good idea. The leaves are lovely and the thick trunks, big crowns produced comparatively quickly are exciting for those who like big trees but the fact is this tree is not suitable for planting near structures, vehicles and pedestrians particularly in areas subject to strong winds.

that's just it, these persons above said nothing about less desirable characteristics (even that varies i.e. some may like the seeds as toys for their kids to play with). They only rail about the Silver Maple, and say cut it down etc with no explanation or reasons stated. Besides with a trunk of 4 feet, I'm confident the original poster is quiet familiar with all the "features" of a silver maple as it has been there for a good while. The original poster also said nothing of where it was planted etc., only asked for advice as to how to best try to SAVE the tree. And in this case, it sounds like most of the damage was at least a few feet away from the main trunk, and for all we know, it could have easily been lighting that caused the original split (seen that more than a few times as I live in a fairly active t-storm area). I agree don't plant them 3 feet away from your house/driveway etc., but what large tree would you suggest be planted close to these structures. I would have no reservations about planting them away from or perhaps on the east side (our storms come from the west) these structures if I wanted to. I personally prefer large trees with better fall color, but I do see the positives of them.

boy.. i knew my bifocals were out of whack .. but this is proof .... time for a visit to the eye doctor ...

anyway ... parents had three of them ... just total nightmare trees ... but they love them ... go figure ...

i personally would apply the chainsaw if it is anywhere near a structure upon which it could fall ... they are beautiful arb trees... for the fairway ... but they are so problematic in suburbia ...

but you apparently love it.. so all the power to you ....

i still dont think you need to do anything ... trees can heal themselves .... in my estimate ... and maple is one of the stronger hardwoods ...

i respect spruces thoughts in the matter ... i have no doubt it will help ... but i dont really see a need for it on a lone tree ...

i have caused more garden problems over the years.. trying to fix what most likely isnt broken ... which i usually sum up by saying.. dont kill it with too much love ... its a tree .. and 99.9% of trees are more than capable of taking care of their own business ...

good luck whatever you decide ...

ken

Hair,
Are you saying that no tree at all is better than a 4' silver maple? They may not be the ideal tree, but if the tree is in good shape other than the limb that was removed, I would think many people would choose to keep it.

I actually like Silver Maples in the right setting. I'm more concerned about future breakage - it seems that once they start breaking they don't stop.

As far as what to do for the health-safety issues, I think everyone here has hit it on the head. I was a bit smart-alecky, sorry.

Ok. For now I will stick w/ the original plan to make a proper, final cut and then use the liquid copper fungicide.

I am hesitant to have the tree removed as I personally think the tree very impressive. On the other hand, it could destroy or severely damage my attached garage or house if it fell or dropped some of its major limbs.

Four or five years ago a tree service guy inspected the tree and said it was in good health and structurally sound for a Silver Maple. If I decide to keep it, are there mechanical strengthening methods that can be employed to improve the treeÂs structural integrity. The university I attended as a youth had tons of massive, mature elms. Typical structure was similar to a celery bunch. Many if not all had the individual "stems" tied together w/ threaded rods or cables and turnbuckles above where the trunk divided. I wonder if some similar method could be employed to strengthen my tree. Though, my silver mapleÂs major limbs are much more horizontal than the elm trees I mention.

When Ken said, "i would not waste money on (liquid copper fungicide)", I thought maybe he was being cheap. But when you talk about cabling or rodding a silver maple, that's just way too far in the other direction.

I wouldn't blame you a bit if you wanted to keep the tree while it's structurally sound. My parents have some large silver maples that were huge when they bought their property about 25 years ago. The trees provided many years of shade and beauty until just recently. In the last year or so, they have started going south. Dad has had some of them removed.

For a tree to be worth the expense and trouble of cabling or rodding, it really needs to be kind of special. Can you imagine spending all that money and then have the tree only last a few more years?

I would cable or rod it myself. Cost would be materials only.

Cabling and rodding requires significant knowledge and skill. Doing it wrong can cause major damage to the trees and will increase the likelihood of tree failure. If you have experience with these techniques and the knowledge to implement them, go for it. If not, I would strongly advise you not to undertake the task.

Seems like major branch tearing off kind of contradicts the evaluation of it as structurally sound. Depends on if this is the start of a downward - so to speak - spiral or if it doesn't do it again for many years.

I think a key point to consider is that the original poster has the right idea for how to prune and treat a wound of this size. That info will come in handy if he can save his silver maple or when working on other trees in the future since any tree, even oaks, etc. can suffer limb loss.