New sugar maple

[NickfromWI]

I wouldn't be suprised if you find a good tree at the original nursery.

I planted a birch for my mom a couple years ago for mother's day. My stepdad and I drove to a few nurseries, and none had TREES! We started checking Kmart, home depot, etc.

Most of the trees I saw were pretty much junk in the trunk! That's before you even looked at the roots. We eventually found one at ShopKo (like kmart) that had good roots. My stepdad didn't quite understand at the time why I was picking the tree based on what you couldn't even see, but I think he get's it now. The tree is doing fine after 2 winters! (I should get a pic, huh?)

Point: Just look more. Go for that "diamond in the rough" mentality. Go there for a day. Mike I think suggested start with the canopy as the first guideline. Find a good one and dig at the roots until you find a defect. It usually only takes a minute to find it. Then move on. Eventually, you'll find yourself at one tree that seems darn good. Take it home.

love
nick

 

[treeseer]

I just reviewed a great link on RCE's: http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/woody/maturetreecare/rootcollarexam.htm

It's so refreshing to hear a university researcher at the cutting edge of practices, instead of repeating the same old stuff. Note Gilman is open to experience from the field; he allows for heading cuts to restore damaged crowns, etc.

Nothing out there on when to prune adventitious roots; too many variables, not enough research.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

One thing I have noticed is that if the crown is showing dieback from girdling roots, root flare excavation and root pruning will not save the tree, it's just too late.

 

[treeseer]

if the crown is showing dieback from girdling roots, root flare excavation and root pruning will not save the tree, it's just too late.

Mike, sometimes it is too late, but many times it is not. if your absolute statement were always true, I am selling a lot of snake oil, and I know that I am not. See the Detective Dendro article from april of this year; I pruned a lot of girdlers last fall, and the tree has not died back since then.

I'll go back to prune more roots in a couple of weeks, with the legitimate expectation that the crown will regrow after significant dieback the past decade or more of self-strangulation.

Re adventitious roots, see Costello's excellent CEU article in the June 05 Arborist News: "Considering their contribution to tree heath, adventitious roots should be retained wenever possible." With all due respect to your experience, I'll listen to Costello's because his is wider and deeper.

Absolute statements are pretty risky to make without absolute certainty.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I did say it was what I noticed, my personal experience. Never been able to turn one around yet. I just put it out there for discussion.
Again, different climates and growth rates may be the difference.
On the other hand, I'm quite sure many of the excavation and repair jobs have helped and will pay off in the long run. It's satisfying to cut some roots that one knows would have killed the tree in time.

 

[Grenfell]

Took a walk in the woods near my home and I found a lovely young sugar maple sapling. Around the same size as the one in this thread. Excellent form, grown by nature.

I'm thinking of transplanting it.

We had some snow but we're currently in the middle of a warm spell (temp. is around 10 C) and the ground is not yet fully frozen. Warm weather is supposed to last the week and then it'll be back to sub-zero temps. I've read you can plant anytime as long as the ground is not frozen.

Should I transplant it now or should I wait until early Spring?

 

[treeseer]

Should I transplant it now or should I wait until early Spring?

Do it now if the soil can be worked. Pull up the roots one by one, so you get as much as possible.

 

[Grenfell]

Do it now if the soil can be worked. Pull up the roots one by one, so you get as much as possible.

Sounds good. I'll try and save as many roots as I can. I'll obviously be damaging some of them, especially the tap root if it is deep. Any tips on digging it up?

 

[Grenfell]

Third time charm?

I've transplanted a wild sugar maple sapling from the woods near my home. It's a tall sapling (~ 12') but skinny (diameter of trunk at base is about 1.5"), typical of the forest saplings I saw. Hopefully I picked a good one! It's nice and straight with plenty of little branches and buds (unlike the nursery one). No wounds or gouges in the trunk either. I thought it may have been a bit big to transplant but it was the best specimen I could identify as a sugar maple and it seemed most of the saplings in the forest were all very tall and skinny (as opposed to shorter and broader as with open grown specimens). It has a nicely formed single leader at the top.

I dug as good a rootball as I could, approx. 24-26" in diameter and about 14" deep. The largest root I saw was about 0.5" in diameter. It came out fairly easily and I immediately burlapped it on site and transported it home and planted it. It was out of the ground for maybe 15 min. max.

I planted the rootball slightly higher than grade and I left it basically as nature grew it. I removed a bit of dirt and mulch from around the base. I gently moved some earth and found a main root just under, so I think the depth is fine.

Like I said, I planted it as it grew in the forest (in terms of height), so I'm not going to mess with it.

Hopefully it will grow well in the Spring and I'll finally have a decent tree! Thanks again for all the help guys, I'll let you know how it does.

The pics aren't the best and don't do the tree justice IMO...maybe I'll post some nicer ones later.

Chris

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Looks good to me!
My only concern might be that the tree could be unstable and need some support in the form of a couple stakes and some loose ropes just to get it through the first year. I'd hate to see it fall over from a snow load or high wind. :bang:

 

[Grenfell]

Looks good to me!

AMEN! Now if treeseer also gives it the thumbs-up, I'm going to pour myself a large dose of the Macallan!

My only concern might be that the tree could be unstable and need some support in the form of a couple stakes and some loose ropes just to get it through the first year. I'd hate to see it fall over from a snow load or high wind. :bang:

You can bet I'll be keeping a very close eye over it, esp. the next few days. It actually seems quite stable at the moment. If it moves or starts to wobble loose, I'll stake it.

 

[treeseer]

I'm going to pour myself a large dose of the Macallan! If it moves or starts to wobble loose, I'll stake it.

Have some Macallan for me, esp. if it's good stout beer.

You want to stake it loosely BEFORE something happens; can't hurt.

It'll be cool to see these two grow over time; my money's on the forest-raised specimen over the nursery-raised wretch.

 

[Grenfell]

Have some Macallan for me, esp. if it's good stout beer.

It's scotch, but I'll chase it with stout...

You want to stake it loosely BEFORE something happens; can't hurt.

True that, you guys have a point. I'll stake it tomorrow.

Thanks guys. I'll be sure to take some pics next year and let you know how the tree is doing.

I did re-plant the nursery tree at the side of my house. We'll see how it does.

C.

 

[Grenfell]

Funky bark?

Hi guys,

I was inspecting the tree - it is doing fine and hasn't moved at all - and I noticed two odd bark patches on the trunk, about 4' up. I've attached some pics...any ideas? I don't think they're cankers...but wanted to be sure. The bark in both areas is fully intact (no exposed wood or cracks), just rough looking. Healed mechanical wound maybe?

Thanks again,
C.

 

[Sheshovel]

Are you going to ignore my replies this time?
These look to be normal growth on this tree,I can't see it well but could be from a young branch attachment.

 

[Grenfell]

Hey Sheshovel,

Thanks for the reply! I've read all the replies here and if I didn't reply to you personally, it was not meant as a slight.

Cheers,
C.

 

[Trinity Honoria]

Are you going to ignore my replies this time?
These look to be normal growth on this tree,I can't see it well but could be from a young branch attachment.

She, sweetie, gotta check the estrogen at the door to play here... otherwise some of the guys decide to see how far they can push you before you "pop"... just like the men we deal with face to face in our real life, the fellas here don't reply to each and every message that is posted to his question...

if the men in your real world reply to everything you say, you live on a planet much different than the one i live on!!!

 

[treeseer]

She, sweetie, gotta check the estrogen at the door to play here...

Yeah let's check the testosterone too howboudit...

Pics have funny bulges but the estimable She has a good theory.

Not open, not cankerous, no disease evident.

 

[Grenfell]

Thanks again guys (and ladies).

Good to hear, now I'm going to try and stop obsessing about this tree.

I think I've developed Nurseriarootusgirdliaphobia (the fear of purchasing trees from nurseries where the trunk has been buried too deep, producing adventitious and potentially girdling roots).

 

[Grenfell]

Spring Update - Budbreak!

Hi guys,

Just thought I'd update you on the progress of my maple. Spring has sprung, we've had some gorgeous weather and the buds have opened! It made it through the winter.:biggrinbounce2:

Both it and my mature black maple broke bud within a day of each other. My silver maple was first and then both hard maples followed closely thereafter. It was interesting to see both the sapling and the mature maple open at essentially the same time.

Here's a couple of pics of the buds opening. I took them today. Anyway, thanks again for all the help and I'll add another pic once the tree is in full bloom.