Other common causes, at least in this region, are verticillium, drought stress, changed soil levels, and soil compaction.

He put a cable THROUGH the root? What kind of cable? Honestly I would expect to be able to drill a 1" hole through most trees with no ill effects. Ppl (and trees) do die occasionally from infections which get in from minor wounds.

I would be curious for a picture of the site amd construction history. BTW, I had verticillum (spelling) wilt get a japanese maple about 40nfeet from a still growing red maple in my yard. Go figure. The wood will show dark streaks up it when its cut if you are curious.

Agree with tor on this one-a one inch hole is usually not significant, but one cannot totally rule out some decay action. Yet decay and total tree death are two very different outcomes. I suspect something else, likely abiotic, ie. long-term drought, flooding of root zone....heh, any silvers I've ever seen-this area is full of them-can easily withstand all of the above. something we don't know, I presume, about this situation. Not at all common for a tree in the prime of its life to just up and die.

+om

if that were the causative reason.. i would not have expected it to take 7 years.. to see the decline ... in fact.. did you see any decline.. trees usually indicate when stuff is happening ...

other than this event.. you havent really provided us with much of any info ... e.g. if you were flooded by salt water during a hurricane.. 3 years of drought.. where you are.. etc ...

btw... 600 bucks to take down a tree of that size sounds rather cheap ... make sure the dude is insured ....

ken

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

I also doubt it was boring activity that killed it. Also agree not the best tree and replace with anything but another silver maple.

I'm quite surprised to see that no one thinks this boring could cause a disaster.

There have been no earthquakes or hurricanes in the upper midwest , and the on;y treatments on the yard are Scott's treatments as required, And the ground was adequately prepared when planting, The squirrels and doves loved it.

There was one limb a couple years ago that showed some decay, but again it has taken me 3 years to dissolve another stump of a maple i took down for 500.00 the going rate here,, and that stump is still hard and roots in the ground A NATURAL GAS LINE VERY CLOSE.

I to know ways to destroy trees but i have never been involved in boring through one, with the right equipment or the intelligence of using a shovel could have avoided the issue. Some people lack energy and other elements.

If a 1" hole kills a silver maple please tell me how to replicate this.

Had the top half of a 40 year old tree die back completely a couple of years ago. Some of the dead wood is still there and wood peckers would go nuts on it. It eventually regrew and now it suckers like crazy in an attempt to rebuild its old height. I hate the tree.

Interesting on the gas line. When the main in front of my house was leaking I could smell it. The guy they sent to test sprayed the ground with a soapy solution. Wonder if a long term slow leak could kill your tree?

They didn't run your gas line through that 1" hole in the root, did they?

Absolutely a gas leak in the soil can and does occasionally kill trees. Tree roots-and those of all plants-need oxygen. When natural gas is dissipating into said soil, the O2 is driven out. I would highly recommend you call your gas guys to do some testing. Even if the demise of this tree is not exactly an emergency, having your house blown off its foundation might be.

+oM