Need Advice on Damaged Red Maple

[LKillory]

This past weekend, my wall contractor moved three 25' maple trees for me. Unfortunately, I was not home to monitor the move and they scrapped the bark in multiple places on one of the trees. Plus, there are several 6"-12" long splits running vertically in the trunk of the tree and on a few of the main branches. Should I remove the hanging bark and coat it with something? What should I do about the thin splits running up the trunk and the branches?

 

[CaseyForrest]

Thats a pretty big assumption Tree. Not knowing how they were moved or what size spade (if any) was used. Ive spaded deciduous up to 10", and evergreen up 25', with a Big John 90" spade. I still haven't seen one of them die.

This is of course after the candles have hardened off on the evergreens, and the new growth on the deciduous.

Pictures would be more helpful, as well as the method used for moving them.

 

[treeseer]

Thats a pretty big assumption Tree. Not knowing how they were moved or what size spade (if any) was used. .

Casey, I hope Dan is wrong too, but i don't know too many wall contractors who own tree spades. Also, by the sounds of the trunk wounds, more primitive means were employed. Also, Lansing is a fur piece north of Hot Lanta.:angry2:

 

[CaseyForrest]

I agree Treeser. It has been known to get 95-100 here in the summer occasionally. Lately its been in the 90's with at least 95% humidity. Im sure he can always reduce the crown, which is recommened when trasplanting anyway, and keep the water to it. Red Maples like wet soil anyway.

 

[treeseer]

he can always reduce the crown, which is recommened when trasplanting anyway,

I've seen the opposite recommendation, with some exceptions, but I've also seen it recommended, to "balance root-shoot ratio". hOw much do you reduce? Depends on roots lost, I guess, but still--10%? 30%?

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I also disagree with crown reduction at transplant. If the tree needs any balancing, it will take care of it itself.

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

what I have read lately recommends against crown pruning up to one season after transplant

 

[Rtom45]

To answer at least one of your questions - if you are going to try and keep the trees alive, then I suggest you clean up the damage done by the contractor. Remove all the damaged and hanging bark, cut back to healthy bark firmly attached to the trunk. I don't think there's much you can do about the slices, just keep an eye on them to make sure bugs don't use them as an entry point into the tree. Also, it is my understanding that, in general, treating wounds is discouraged.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The damage to the trunk sounds like the least of your problems. It's the transplanting method and time of year that is most concerning.
Leave the wounds alone. Nothing will be gained by peeling and poking at fresh wounds. The most you can do is attach some of the loose bark with a staple gun, which can save that little area of the Cambium.
If you really want to do something else, there is some evidence that temporarily wrapping the wound with some saran wrap helps keep certain hormone levels up in the wound area, and speeds healing. The study I saw showed the saran wrap held in place with some duct tape and left for about a month. If the wound is full sun, the wrap might form a little solar oven. In that case I would not do it.
Loose bark may be inviting to some insects, but we need to keep in mind what insects, and whether or not those insects are harmful to trees. I'm trying to think of what harmful insects might be attracted to a wound on a Red Maple, but I can't. Perhaps taking steps to prevent them is a waste of time. And if it means cutting or peeling any more bark off, I wouldn't suggest it.
The fact is, that it is very hard to cut loose bark away without tearing off more of the bark (a bad thing).
Wait until next year and by then the healing process will be far enough along that you can just poke at the loose bark with your finger a little and it will break away.
Until then, get some pictures posted and we can tell you what to do about the things that are important.

 

[treeseer]

The fact is, that it is very hard to cut loose bark away without tearing off more of the bark (a bad thing).

Absolutely correct; I try to be very surgical about bark tracing and still %$#$& up sometimes. I'm all for wrapping and even stapling, if the bark is still moist enough to have a chance, then give it a chance.

Time is of the essence--if you let it dry it's gonna die.

"No crown pruning up to one season after transplant" is a good guideline, but if there are way more shoots than roots, and you know from experience that you may have dieback or death, then it's time to take off some branches.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

"No crown pruning up to one season after transplant" is a good guideline, but if there are way more shoots than roots, and you know from experience that you may have dieback or death, then it's time to take off some branches.

It's true that if roots are removed, the crown will die back or at least stunt. The tree responds to root cutting by growing new roots. The energy to accomplish this comes from two places, stored starch reserves and new sugars being made by leaves.
It becomes a race. A race to grow roots before too much top dies. The tree needs all the food it can get. Not fertilizer food, but sugars, the product of photosynthesis.
It becomes a very fine balancing act. Avery small amount of sugars make the difference between a transplant surviving or dying.
What you are suggesting is that we preemptively remove sugar factories (leaves), and starch storage banks (living wood), in anticipation of possible future die-back. You are taking food away now, when the tree needs it most.
This goes back to the fallacy that limbs and leaves are parasitic to a tree.
Limbs are no more parasitic than roots!
Ask yourself this: If you do a crown reduction, is it followed up by a root pruning? Why or why not?

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

treeseer,
would it not be wise to wait and see which branches die back, then remove them?
If you prune branches after transplanting (or root damage) you are guessing as to which branches may die. The tree may have other ideas and die back may occur on branches you leave.
IMO leave all the branches that are not damaged, with the intent to come back a year later and prune back the dead.

 

[LKillory]

Thanks So Much !!!

You guys are great at responding and I'm sorry I am just replying. We realize that this was a huge risk to transplant at this time, but the only other option was to cut them down. Because they were beautiful trees, we felt it was worth a shot. Two of them are pictured below as well as a few shots of the problem areas on the one tree. No they didn't use a tree spade (cost) and my husband didn't watch them move the last tree (the one with all of the damage). I believe they were just in a hurry to get it done. We mixed 6 bags of mushroom mulch with 4 or 5 bags of soils conditioner into the soil for each tree hole (suggestion from tree guy at Pike's nursery). I am also planning on taking all of the pine back mulch that we have from several trees we dropped last week and covering them (how deep should I go?) Should we do something else as far as fertilization? The trees were just moved last Saturday, so I'll try to wrap with saran wrap today (Will "Press and Seal" work just as well?). I will also staple the bark that is hanging.

I assume the leaves are all going to drop and that I will not really know until next spring if they will make it or not?

Thanks so much for all the great advice... I really appreciate it !!!

 

[LKillory]

Also...

Also, is watering every day too much? I have been doing it every day, but the soil was real mushy, so I didn't yesterday. They do get sun 90% of the day.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Soak the root area well and then it just dry out before watering again. Poke your finger or a small stick a few inches into the soil to see if it's wet or not. Over watering can be just as bad as under watering.
Make sure the chips are not more than about 2" deep. Roots need oxygen and deep chips reduce that.
Fresh chips can also throw off the soil nitrogen levels a bit, but with just a thin layer of them, and the addition of the mushroom mulch, it should be ok.
I can't tell from the pictures how big the root ball is.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Again, the wounds you see are not the major problem. What, if anything, you do shouldn't be a major factor in the survival of the trees.
I can't see what difference it would make what kind of wrap you use. The idea is to trap gases. Just one layer of plastic and loosely wrap some tape. You don't want to strangle the tree.

 

[CaseyForrest]

I guess theroies have changed since I last moved trees. We didnt reduce the crown of anything we moved, unless they were going in the ground as whips. It was always suggested, though, if the tree is struggling, to take off anywhere from 20% to 50% of the crown. Mind you we are talking only 2" to 8" caliper decidous.

As for watering....Red Maples can handle a fair amount of moisture, but the rule of thumb is to let the ground almost dry between waterings. 5-10 gallons every other day, depending on heat and humidity, should be sufficient.

Mulch should be between 3" to 4" around the drip line up to 2"-3" from the trunk. If you mulch around the trunk, you will be prone to rotting the trunk, and killing the tree.

 

[treeseer]

""No crown pruning up to one season after transplant" is a good guideline."

Let's just keep it at that. I would not prune those maples now.

What do you guys think about watering the foliage, so it drips more slowly on the roots, and slows dessication?

 

[CaseyForrest]

Treeser, The water droplets act as little magnifying glasses, essentially burning the leaves. Unless you are doing it when the leaves have time to dry before the sun hits them, its actually good for them.

 

[Mike Barcaskey]

Caesy, I have never heard that. Where can I read more about it?