sick maple? opinions please

[goatchin]

we have a couple door yard maples that have been on our front lawn for years-before my dad was born and he's 50...

The first week of october-leaves fell early here-the other trees in the yard lost their leaves except for this one. It kept 65% or so of it leaves. Leaves turned a dark brown-the color they get when pulled from a branch when they are still green. The tree had been hit by lightning over 35 years ago, obviously kept on living but where the tree is scared it is turning to dry, dusty punky wood. the base of tree is still sounds solid when thumped. The tree will be coming down no matter what, sick or not sick because it is bout 15' from corner of house and well head-dont need any future problems. It leans away from the house, across drive way, and right towards moms compost bins LOL

Just curious as to what yall think what caused the tree to hold it's leaves.

here's some pics i took today after the snow slowed down

 

[treeseer]

Just curious as to what yall think what caused the tree to hold it's leaves.

/tree did not make abscisic acid to cut off the leaves. It lacked the resources due to overall decline.

 

[goatchin]

meaning that the tree is past it's "health prime" of life? what usually causes this?

 

[Zackman1801]

its usually diseases and bug attacks that cause trees to die out, then there is the obvious age. i would say that the lightning wound has done a number on it and its rotting in the middle cutting off the upper branches, your good to cut it down or else it looks like its going to fall very soon.

 

[goatchin]

yea the rot has gotten worse in the last couple years that i've paid attention to it. im surprised it has withstood the windstorms we get being on the top of a hill.

the last 3 years the county and surrounding counties have had real bad problems with the tent catapillars-dont know specific name. they build the greyish colored webs/nests on the ends of the branches and chew the leaves to hell. these trees have been able to stay free of these trees (never saw the nests in the branches), but a couple trees directly across the road where hit hard with the tent catapillars.

it'll be fun droppin this tree-i cant touch my hands when i wrap around it. prolly a good 30" if not a couple more

 

[treeseer]

it'll be fun droppin this tree-i cant touch my hands when i wrap around it. prolly a good 30" if not a couple more

I've been cutting trees a long time, but I have never understood the enjoyment some get from felling. :jawdrop:

Root abuse is the main reason trees die--if we do not give them the same kind of environment they get in the forest then we are asking for trouble.

 

[goatchin]

it'll be an enjoyment for me because this will be the largest tree i'll have fallen, and also because i dont get to fell as often as i would like to be able to. Hopefully i'll be able to have my girlfriend or sister video tape me settin and droppin it.

This tree has had less root/butt swell damage from mower and trimmer than the tree that i have pictured next to it that has lost it's leaves. The topic tree here has been holding and dropping more dead branches (small dia.) this year than before.