Japanese maple needs help

[4monkeys]

Hello,

My family moved into our home last july. It is a rental with the agreement that the tenants are responsible for tree and shrub care. The property was so overgrown when we moved in it was clear that tenants before us did not care for the yard and were not very nice to the japanese maple that is in it. This spring while pruning a very overgrown grapevine, I found that most of it was poison ivy. The main vine was wider than my forearm growing right alongside the grapevine.

Since we moved in we noticed that when we had a significant amount of rainfall that the water would pool up near the area where the tree is. Spring came and a small branch on the tree towards the middle didn't leaf when the others did. This area has since widened with the branches that were full of beautiful leaves dropped leaving a bald spot in the center.

The trunk has a patch that started at the soil line and it has gotten bigger. I don't recall this when I was inspecting the tree after the leafs dropped in the center but we have had a lot of rain recently and now it looks twice the size than when I noticed it two weeks ago.

I don't know much about tree care so I would be very grateful for any advice you can give me. I love this tree and so does my family. It really needs help. I don't want it to die.

 

[lilysmile]

aaww poor tree! hugs!

 

[4monkeys]

aaww poor tree! hugs!

I know.. It's so sad. I hope I can help it get better.

 

[AGoodSteward]

Is the trunk with the cracking the one with all the dead on it?(center) Can you post pics of that one just above head high?

You may have a Girdling root showing at the base(or it may be just mature trunk flare)

Is the defoliated trunk completely bare of leaves? If not can you post a pic of some leaves off that trunk?

How does it get water?
May be Verticillium wilt.

 

[4monkeys]

Is the trunk with the cracking the one with all the dead on it?(center) Can you post pics of that one just above head high?

You may have a Girdling root showing at the base(or it may be just mature trunk flare)

Is the defoliated trunk completely bare of leaves? If not can you post a pic of some leaves off that trunk?

How does it get water?
May be Verticillium wilt.

Thank you for your response. Here are pictures of the trunk with the crack and the branches off of that trunk. Most of the leaves have died and fallen off of those branches but I did include a picture of the leaves that hadn't fallen off yet. If you need more or closer shots just let me know. It's a pretty big tree and I did my best with the tallest branches. We don't water the tree so it only gets watered when it rains. I'm not aware of any tree care that was done to it prior to moving in and there is no mulch. I did notice two hooks screwed into two of the branches ( for a hammock maybe? or to hang potted plants?...ugh.) but not the ones related to the pictures. It also looks like there was a failed attempt to cut one of the lower branches a while back but it looks like it healed from that nicely.It sure seems like the poor thing has really taken a beating over the years. I plan on calling an arborist that I found on Trees are good after I read another thread. But I feel like I have to do something for the lower part of the tree where it appears like fungus has started... I'll look up Verticillium wilt and compare it to what I have going on.. thank you!

 

[AGoodSteward]

I strongly encourage you to pursue the arborist on this. Especially with the size and proximity to the structure.
Can't tell but the leaves look fairly yellowed. (Stress?)
Running a hose out to trees when it's dry can help them avoid a lot of issues. A healthy tree can fight off many pests and diseases.

Please post an update here when you get a diagnosis and what remedy you settle on. Thanks.

 

[BC WetCoast]

If you cut one of the dead branches, look for a black line in the cut, similar to an annual ring, but not all the way around the stem. If you see the black line, it will be verticillium wilt. Not a lot you can do, except the cut out the dead material. You may also want to consider some fertilization.