Can this tree be saved?

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GAEngineer

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This tree has declined significantly in the last two months. Is whatever is making the holes in the trunk responsible? What do I need to do to bring this tree back to good health?
 

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Those are sapsucker holes. Insignificant.

The brown leaves are Maple ancthracnose. Also insignificant.

Something else is going on...
The brown leaves are the symptom that drew my attention. If the brown leaves and holes are not significant what else should I be concerned with? Is there anything to be gained health wise by treating the maple anthracnose, or it is mainly an aesthetic issue?
 
get a couple of pictures from the base of the tree (multiple sides). I certainly does look thin... Ancthracnose may be a minor contributor to further decline if the tree is already suffering from something else. But if we get that something else fixed, I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I'll bet if you dig away about 8" of dirt all the way around the base, you'll find root girdling. Not an expert opinion, just a hunch.
The areas with the X and the little valley in between look suspicious to me.
IMG-5536.JPG
 
My wife and I purchased this property in June of this year. I have not touched this tree with a tool of any kind. I will clear around the base a bit and get some better photos. I don't typically get home with enough daylight to tale pictures, so please bear with me on gathering intel. Is it worth digging a bit as part of the investigation?
 
My wife and I purchased this property in June of this year. I have not touched this tree with a tool of any kind. I will clear around the base a bit and get some better photos. I don't typically get home with enough daylight to tale pictures, so please bear with me on gathering intel. Is it worth digging a bit as part of the investigation?
I'd suggest waiting until one of the pro's here chimed in. No need to do unnecessary work. It just looks to me like there might be a problem with the roots. You could just pull out the grass and loosen the dirt around the trunk and see what there is to see.

Hard to tell from the photo if that's some kind of growth, or a cut... it looks like a cut healing over in that knot just above it though.
 
Yes...just pull the grass back a bit so we can really see what is going on. initially, that doesn't look as bad as I thought it might. Maybe no problem down there at all?
ATH,
Doesn't it look like something has constricted the trunk at some point in time?
The band between the x's, from left to right?
IMG-5536b.JPG
 
yeah maybe? I didn't notice that before, just looking on my phone. The flare below it doesn't suggest it was a major constriction. There can be unique bark formations at the bottom too. Where you put the first 2 Xs could be some roots causing problems if they are secondary roots....but if that is truly the natural root collar, then they won't do much besides graft to other roots below where we can see.
 
I will do some investigation and get some better photos this weekend.

It wouldn't surprise me if the bands you see in the photos are past damage from the bush hog. I have reason to believe the people the previous owner hired to maintain the property had questionable skill and intelligence.
 
Good job! :D I could use you in my yard to clear weeds from a few trees.

Roots look straight to me, BUT, that area that looked like it had been constricted looks like something was/is going on there... looks like something hit it hard enough to dent it and also looks like some root damage? Maybe an issue, maybe not?
Let's wait to see what the experts have to say.
 
Good job! :D I could use you in my yard to clear weeds from a few trees.

Roots look straight to me, BUT, that area that looked like it had been constricted looks like something was/is going on there... looks like something hit it hard enough to dent it and also looks like some root damage? Maybe an issue, maybe not?
Let's wait to see what the experts have to say.

I bet I know what happened... looks like you didn't have to dig away much dirt to expose those roots, they're above ground level for the most part. I'll bet, like you said, someone hit it with a mower, or bush hog.That's what dinged up the roots.
... and that little knot looks weird to me, like something might be stuck in there and it's trying to grow around it?

IMG_1738.JPG
 
TN is right. mower damage looks severe.
Keep killing the grass out to the dripline.
Cover with 2"-4" of woodchip mulch.

Thanks - Added to the list of this weekend's chores.

Is there any harm in spraying glyphosate to kill the grass or should I remove it the hard way?
 
Thanks - Added to the list of this weekend's chores.

Is there any harm in spraying glyphosate to kill the grass or should I remove it the hard way?
I was waiting for someone else to reply, but they haven't, so I will. :D
I think the glyphosate would be fine as long as you don't go overboard with it and don't spray directly on the exposed roots.

I had a lot of help from members here with a mulch project I started a year ago. I didn't spray an herbicide around my trees because I have a lot of bulbs and other things planted around them, near the trunk. So instead I placed a layer of newspaper around the trees, a foot away from the trunk, and then applied the mulch. It worked well for the first year at keeping the weeds at bay, but this year I bought Round-up.:rolleyes:

My finished mulch project...
DSC01683 - Copy (2).JPG
 
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