RE: [gardeners] Sugar maple tree needs help
Seyfried,Alice (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Thu, 9 Jul 1998 08:56:38 -0400
Thanks, Allan. Wow, I didn't think it would be so easy to infect a tree,
but that sounds like a very good possibility. I'll have her take a piece
to the county extension and see what they can find. I have a hard time
believing that it's a natural decline in the tree. Like I said before,
it's always been incredibly healthy, and the problem appeared within a
couple months of the pruning. They have not been having even a mild
drought, let alone a severe one. On the contrary, I believe they've had
above average rainfall this year. Will let you know what she finds out.
Alice
seyfried@oclc.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Allen and Judy Merten [SMTP:jbmerten@swbell.net]
> Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 5:45 PM
> To: gardeners@globalgarden.com
> Subject: Re: [gardeners] Sugar maple tree needs help
>
> Hi Alice,
> I'm not sure at what age if any a Sugar Maple might go into
> decline.
> Unless you have been suffering from a severe drought, ie the ground
> water
> would have retreated to a depth that the roots couldn't reach it. A40
> yr old
> maple should have an enormous root system that should be able to reach
> very
> deeply. I think or guess that it may be some disease that has been
> transmitted to your mothers tree. Perhaps by the aborist. Here is how
> that
> can happen. You call the aborist about your tree. He cuts limbs off it
> because it has a fungus or bacterial infection. He tells Joe at the
> end of
> the job to be sure and clean(sterilize) the tools cause they have to
> go to
> your mothers house to do her tree. Joe is PO'ed at the boss for
> something
> throws the tools back in the truck and goes home. The next day they
> trim
> your mothers tree, ta da they have now infected your mothers tree. A
> fellow
> by the name of Dewey Compton used to have a garden show on KTRH radio
> in
> Houston. He mentioned the exact senario as I just did. Said if you
> trim your
> own tree that you should sterilize your cutting tool after each cut.
> Said if
> you have a pro do it to insist that they clean there tools in your
> sight
> before you allow them to make the first cut.
> May be your best bet is to take a sample of the distressed part of
> your
> tree to your county agent or someone other than the arborist you used
> last,
> see if they can detect fungus, virus , or bacterial infection. Good
> luck.
> Allen
> Bastrop Co.,Tx
> Zone 8
>
> Seyfried,Alice wrote:
>
> > Hi everyone!
> >
> > While the soap operas are truly exciting (I can't wait to hear about
> > Belle's new tatoo), I have a question about my mother's sugar maple.
> > She had it liberally thinned out (not topped - t'would be a horror)
> last
> > year by a professional arborist and now half of it seems to be
> dying.
> > This tree is at least 40 years old (probably older) and fully
> matured in
> > northern Ohio (zone 5 along the lake). She had it thinned because
> she
> > needed to get more light through it to the yard below. It has always
> > been incredibly healthy (never a fungus or disease). The leaves on
> the
> > back half are all much smaller than the ones on the front half and
> there
> > are very few new side branches on that side, too. She's scared to
> death
> > that they took out too much and is trying to figure out what to do.
> > She's tried calling the arborist back to have them come out and look
> at
> > it, but they are playing telephone tag right now and can't seem to
> get
> > in touch with each other. So I thought I would see if all you
> brilliant
> > people have any ideas. About a month ago, she put Jobe's fertilizer
> > tree spikes all around it following the package directions for
> placement
> > of the spikes. Is there anything else she can do to help this tree
> > recover? Will deep watering help?
> >
> > If anyone has any ideas on how to save this tree, I would be truly
> > thankful. It was the first tree I climbed as a child, it was the
> first
> > tree my 4 year old climbed last year, and I am as much in love with
> it
> > as I am with the house I grew up in.
> >
> > Alice
> > seyfried@oclc.org
>
>