Maple branches dying from outside

[nocryinginbaseball]

Hello all. I have a large hedge maple (I think?) in my front yard that provides beautiful shade and privacy. It seems to be slowly dying from the outside-in. The top and outer branches get less leaves, and dead branches about 1 inch thick (and smaller) fall a few times a month. I've looked at some common maple problems and am not sure what it is. I had an arborist-in-training take a look while he was here for some other work, and he suggested a soil sample, so I'll send that in and follow up with him after. In the meantime, I wondered if anyone else had ideas. Some additional info:
- I think the tree was likely planted when the house was built, in 1979.
- We bought the house 3 years ago, in 2017.
- When we moved in, the tree had a ring of stones around it and some sparse pachysandra that I ripped out. I put down weed fabric and stones. (See picture.)
- The gas line probably goes under it.
- We live in Western Pennsylvania.
- No major pests that I can tell, especially no mice/squirrels/chipmunks.

I've attached several pictures (the best I could get) with various timestamps. Note: the darker leaves in the pictures aren't dead, but they are starting to change color for the fall. Thank you all for your time and thoughts!

 

[Raintree]

Root collar disorder your red maple is symptomatic.

 

[nocryinginbaseball]

Thanks! Hopefully it isn't too far gone. I hate to think I've killed my own tree by putting rocks down.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

I'm no expert, but seems to me... weed barrier + heavy boulders = suffocated fine feeder roots?

Btw, did the kitty ever catch the turkey?

 

[nocryinginbaseball]

It sounds so logical when you say it... lol! I guess I thought roots were all deep under dirt, so what did it matter? Wrong!

Thanks for the tr-education. And no, scaredy cat stayed about 20 feet behind the turkey the whole way around the house

 

[TNTreeHugger]

It sounds so logical when you say it... lol! I guess I thought roots were all deep under dirt, so what did it matter? Wrong!

Thanks for the tr-education. And no, scaredy cat stayed about 20 feet behind the turkey the whole way around the house

Smart kitty. lol
I didn't know about the importance of surface roots either - learned a thing or two from the experts here.

Are you going to work on the tree? Remove the rocks and cloth? Idk if it will save it, but I would give it a try anyway.

 

[nocryinginbaseball]

Smart kitty. lol
I didn't know about the importance of surface roots either - learned a thing or two from the experts here.

Are you going to work on the tree? Remove the rocks and cloth? Idk if it will save it, but I would give it a try anyway.

It's done! My mother (who made the rock suggestion in the first place) helped me rip it out today. I forgot there was actually even another layer of really heavy weed fabric a few inches below what we put in. No wonder the poor tree couldn't breathe! It's amazing also how much growth there has been in the 2 years since we put the top fabric down. The trunk was already growing into the fabric. I also ripped some old fabric (that we hadn't put down) from a white birch we have in the back yard.

My mom today: "I wonder how many of my own trees I've ruined..."

 

[TNTreeHugger]

It's done! My mother (who made the rock suggestion in the first place) helped me rip it out today. I forgot there was actually even another layer of really heavy weed fabric a few inches below what we put in. No wonder the poor tree couldn't breathe! It's amazing also how much growth there has been in the 2 years since we put the top fabric down. The trunk was already growing into the fabric. I also ripped some old fabric (that we hadn't put down) from a white birch we have in the back yard.

My mom today: "I wonder how many of my own trees I've ruined..."

Can you post photos of what it looks like now?

 

[nocryinginbaseball]

Updated pics. Hope now I don’t have girdled roots.

 

[TNTreeHugger]

Updated pics. Hope now I don’t have girdled roots.

That's what I was thinking when I saw the bulge at the base of the trunk, before you uncovered it.
I can't tell if they are girdled or not though... wait for an expert, like @ATH or @Raintree to chime in before doing any trimming.
I would get some good mulch though and cover those fine roots, out to your rock border, leaving about 8" clear around the base of the trunk.
But... wait for an expert.

 

[ATH]

Yeah...there are a few roots wrapped around the trunk i'd remove.

the rocks weren't the problem...but the fabric did harm. as did the soil piled over the trunk.

Also, previous topping cuts were not helpful.