Purple beech tree issue

[Slick]

Hoping for some help with a Purple Beech (fagus sylvatica). This is it's 3 summer in the ground, it's been healthy and looking great until about a month ago the leaves suddenly dried up and I noticed yesterday the trunk has some white on it. I watered religiously the last two seasons, this year I honestly paid more attention to newer trees in the yard but I did water it several times when it was dry, I can't imagine it was a watering issue. I've scraped back tiny sections of bark in several spots and the smaller branches out near the leaves look pretty dry, the larger branches near the trunk are still green and moist.
Any ideas? I have a bad feeling it's a goner but I'm hoping someone sees hope for it come next spring? I planted this as a memorial to my father and paid way to much for it...hard to find and harder to find one with any size.

Any suggestions or is it already gone? Any ideas what killed it?

 

[ATH]

Won't let me look enlarge the pictures like I usually can...but if the leaves are all brown in the fits picture (I am pretty sure they are...), I wouldn't hold out much hope.

Can you wiggle the tree around by grabbing the trunk and attempting to move the root ball back and forth, or is it pretty tight in the ground?

 

[Raintree]

I can't enlarge the pics either. I see a herbicide line down the fence in the first pic. Did the Beech's mulch bed get a dose? Having a tree in full leaf this spring & then a few months later be toast it's most likely not a biotic issue. Check for rodent girdling & or herbicide damage.

 

[Slick]

Thanks guys, sorry about the small pictures, try these from a camera instead of my phone. I just noticed in taking these it has sprouted a small red leaf right at the base near the mulch...she's still fighting I guess . I shook it and it's strong as can be in the root ball. I have sprayed weed killer along the fence but not the tree, I would assume it would take a pretty good amount to kill a tree this size? The yard has been sprayed with weed and feed also but I stay away from new trees....I'm not going to be happy with myself if that's what killed this. The leaves are certainly brown and dry, I can't believe they haven't fallen off yet. They started to brown from the bottom of the tree up.

I also noticed while looking at the new leaf the bark is cracked about 2 feet up the trunk....that's not good.

New pictures help anyone?

 

[Raintree]

Excavate the stump area, we want to see a pic of the root flare. Hopefully we won't see a tied root ball. Deeply planted thin bark trees can go belly up in a single season.

 

[Slick]

OK I pulled back the mulch. Lots of small roots appeared (1st picture). I dug out some dirt with my fingers and a hand tool...felt like I was damaging too many roots so I didn't go any further, do you want to see more than this second picture? I found no sign of twine or burlap. I did notice light colored ants starting to appear as I was taking pictures (small light colored guy in the third picture)....not a swarm by any means but definitely a few as if they were in the area, not sure if that means anything. Anything giving any clues to what is going on?
What is with the white crusty stuff on the trunk?

 

[ATH]

Nice root excavation pictures... It was planted deep - you should see that root flare at ground level so it doesn't look like a pole stuck in the ground. I am not convinced that is the cause of problems though.

The white crusty stuff is saprophytic decay (fungus that decays dead stuff).

 

[Raintree]

Interesting case, I'm not convinced that your 2nd pic above is the proper original root flare. It appears to me advantageous roots growing from a swollen trunk, not seeing buttress support roots. Thinking that the root collar is still below the exposed grade. However weak advantageous roots can support a tree for a period of time. Usually ending with the tree leaning over one morning at a 45 degree angle or just blown over. So I'm with ATH also not convinced that the planting issue is the reason the Beech is toast.
A big stresser on the health, not the death blow.
Like to learn more about the weed and feed app to the lawn, active ingredent of the broad leaf herbicide?
Also pic #2 from the second set posted shows a the trunk with a wound. Possible mechanical damage, how extensive is that wounded area? Peal off the loose bark & post a pic.

 

[Slick]

Here is a shot ofthe wounded area with all the loose bark off.

You guys have me worried about my other plantings now with this one being to low...I have maples and oaks around the property that now that you mention it look like "sticks in the ground"....how worried should I be?

I'm pretty sure this is what I used on the lawn earlier in the summer
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/gordonsreg;-amine-400-2-4-d-weed-killer-1-gal

 

[Raintree]

Sorry about your memorial Beech tree, I also plant trees for family members who have passed. Hope you 'll consider planting a replacement.
A little info on herbicides: http://auf.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=1528&Type=2
Best to do root collar inspections on all your planted trees. Being installed too deep is the number one issue I encounter with new trees out in the field. Good luck.

 

[Slick]

Thanks for the help. Sounds like my attempt to get rid of whatever a few of us in the family are allergic to in our grass killed the Beech huh? That is disappointing to say the least....this is actually the second attempt at a purple/copper beech in memorial to my father (he died at a hospital with a mammoth old copper beech out front, amazing tree). We were flooded shortly after planting the first, pretty sure the oils and fuels floating on the water killed that one ( took out other young trees in the area also).
Now to decide if I try to find another copper beach or something a bit easier to find...maples seems to love my area...

On my other trees...how long after planting should I feel "safe"? If they make it say a two years or something, is it a safe bet they will make it or is it always going to be an issue?

I've got 2 maples about 4 yrs old that seem to be doing well...two others and two oaks from last fall that all seem to be doing well but are probably too deep...can I even do anything about it now?

 

[Raintree]

Expose the root collars, prune out any girdling roots & you should be GTG.
Get an other beech, go with a 2" caliper & properly install it at depth. Beech tree will do better in a higher dryer area of the yard, keep away from the low wet areas.

 

[Slick]

Thanks again. I googled girdling roots, looks like they wrap around and choke off the trunk? Is that would tends to kill low planted trees?

How high above ground should the top of the root flare be on my next planting?

 

[treeseer]

Thanks again. I googled girdling roots, looks like they wrap around and choke off the trunk? Is that would tends to kill low planted trees?

How high above ground should the top of the root flare be on my next planting?

Higher, if ground is wet. Flare to grade if not. Agree beech roots looked adventitious. Find all the flares!

And good luck finding a maple without bad roots. They are way overplanted.