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Silver maple decline?

10 years ago

I'm just seeing if there is anything I can do to help an old silver maple out. The house was built in 1966, so it canÃ¢ÂÂt be older than that. I've seen old photos. Some changes around it have happened gradually over the last five years, and I'm worried they might stress the big guy out. In 2008 my neighbor installed a fence next to the tree. I continued the fence in 2009, digging more holes for posts. In 2009 my neighbor also installed a sandstone patio next to the tree. In 2011 I made a bed around it. Didn't add that much dirt, as the yard slopes so the ground was naturally lower in front of it. Then in 2012 I built a shed on deck blocks (still needs doors) and a little paver patio next to it. I get that it's not ideal but I'm on a small city lot. If I stay here for life I'm sure I'll regret it, however that's an issue for another time. It's also next to another neighborÃ¢ÂÂs garage, but the garage was there before the tree so I gather it adapted to it.

Myself, the neighbor, and tree are all fighting for space on small city lots. I've never had a yard or trees before so I am ignorant. However I am now trying to be much more conscious of the tree and learn. I did notice some branch dieback. Not huge branches, but from what I understand decline in trees is gradual. If there is something I can do now I'd like to now.

It appears healthy to me. Canopy seems thick, plenty of helicopters every spring and leaves in fall. I'm constantly pruning offshoots from the base to as far up as I can reach. Any help/opinions would be appreciated. Thank you for looking at the pictures below, reading, and your time.

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Comments (6)

jobblygardner
Original Author
10 years ago

Tree

Tree

Bed

Shed

Bed/Shed

Sandstone Patio

Dieback

Dieback

Dieback

Dieback
eam44
10 years ago
I have no fence or shed, and am having the same problem with one in a row of four silver maples planted (I think) within five years of yours. It's strangely the only one that has bladder gall too. The only info I've been able to find is that die-back and failure to thrive happen some times for no identifiable reason. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
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I'm afraid it will have to come down, and I really don't want to do that if I can help it. ===>>> dont be afraid ... just get rid of it ... if the prior owner leaf you a paisley counter top in puce ... [thats not even a hit with google.. lol] ....would you spend hundreds of dollars 'fixing it .... even if retro was your goal ... i am sure.. in your new house.. you renovated things to your own liking... and you should be doing the same thing.. in the garden ... and.. as i said.. there is nothing to be afraid of .... listen to me.. my first house.. i spent 5 years .. trying to save every nightmare.. for the history of the house ... in year 5.. the light went on.. and i finally got rid of the last nightmare ... hallelujah ... all my problems were gone.. be done with this .. unless you pic makes your words so wrong ... then i might change my mind ... i then spent the nest 5 years.. planting all kinds of my mistakes ... and then moved.. and left them for the next owners ... lol ... trees come.. trees go.. but for the cost.. so what ... time for you to plant your own tree ... and i suggests anywhere but exactly where this one is ... just move over a few feet ... at a minimum ... we can help you select and plant a new tree .. when the time comes ... good luck.. lets see the pix.. ken
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Thanks for the replies. I was thinking to buy that book (I've read most of what the UNH extension has online) already, and I probably will. Unfortunately, I think what I really need is some intro to landscape design ;( I agree that the location of the tree in the bed is odd, and well, the bed itself isn't the most aesthetic shape. I put this in when I built the retaining wall, in order to not have it all boring lawn. Maybe I'll see if I can get some better picture this weekend and see if I can get some design help here ;) The septic doesn't make it any easier, and I don't even know exactly where it's at. Definitely too close for a large tree (20 ft to the edge would be my guess, certainly not 100). So is the tree really going to straighten itself out if I cut one half off? The crotch angle is wider than it may look in the picture. That may be all academic, but I guess I might keep it for a couple of years while growing some replacement. I'm thinking an upright Japanese Maple might be a nice center piece there, how about a Seiryu? I just ordered one, but it'll be years until it has any kind of size. I don't think even a silver maple will compete with most of the other trees there any time soon, though, there are many really tall pine trees there (which are left from what I guess basically used to be a forest, and so they're not particularly pretty, having only green near the very top. But that's another subject... (though actually related to the whole "where do I want my landscape to go" thing)
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Agreed^. If you can provide more historical context, we may be able to help. Ie, any herbicide treatments, especially those containing dicamaba, or Imprelis-brand herbicide, a known tree killer? Those factors Ken mentioned? Something's amiss here. I don't think I could kill a silver maple if I tried. Well,okay, I could, but it would not be easy. And did the tree show gradual decline, or all of a sudden? BTW, I'm not at all hating on this tree species, but honestly, around here, in the early summer, peeps that don't keep their house gutters clean have veritable nurseries of silver maple seedlings coming up in these gutters, by the thousands. A supremely easy tree to come by and to get to grow. I sure wouldn't spend an $$ on one. And depending on the situation, a thirty or forty foot tree is not at all hard to drop, provided there are no targets in the way. when I moved into the house I continue to reside at, in 1981, we not only had our city's largest silver maple in the backyard, there was also a young one of perhaps 14 inch trunk diameter, planted in our tiny front yard, and leaning back at our little house! This tree did not live much longer after that then it took me to start my power saw. By now, it would have become an enormous liability, and that's coming from me-a guy who tolerates much tree hanging over his and other houses. That one was ridiculous. +om
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djimb
10 years ago
Do you see strips of dead bark leading up to the branches that are dying? The first thing that springs to mind would be the increased soil depth, but it seems like the root flare is still reasonably above the soil level. Compaction could also be the culprit. I've heard of people aerating soil by driving holes in it, but I've never seen it done. You might get up on a ladder and look for insect damage.
One other thing to look for is dark spots in the wood of the dead branches. If you find these spots, you should sterilize your pruners immediately. This could be a sign of verticillium wilt, a fungus that colonizes the interior of the tree, blocking water and nutrients from getting to the branches. If this is the case, the only thing I've heard of helping to slow the decline is regular waterings with compost tea. I don't mean to be alarmist. I've seen maples planted too deep that look like they could suffering from verticillium, but it is a possibility.

best of luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Verticillium wilt
djimb
10 years ago
on second glance, the dead branches don't look black, so it's unlikely that it's verticillium, but it wouldn't hurt to check.
jobblygardner
Original Author
10 years ago
Hello, yes I was going to rent a soil aerator in the fall when the soil is moister. A lot of activity around the tree, including getting my truck stuck twice. I also bought some maple fertilizer that involves drilling down 6 inches to apply. I was going to do that in the spring when it rains more. However with all the rain lately I can probably aerate and fertilize now.

I was also thinking of cutting down the trunk that extends over the shed. Any thoughts on cutting a major trunk off a sliver maple?? Thanks.
djimb
10 years ago
I think the aeration and fertilization is a good idea. Regarding removing a substantial trunk of the tree, I would recommend getting in touch with a certified arborist.

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