Rotted Maple Tree
- Thread starter chzuck
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No help on the rot. But, from the close up, that looks like a Norway Maple. They do not respond well to cutting the canopy back to lighten the weight. If the top is cut back just a little too far, they are susceptible to sun scald. Which kills the bark on the top of the limbs where they are not used to getting a lot of sun. Kind of like tree sun burn, Joe.
Canopy was never cut back. This damage happened several years ago when we had a heavy snow on Halloween. It was a weak, large limb. Is it possible to seal that area so it does not keep taking in water from rain? I would like to keep it as long as safely possible. It provides much shade for the southern exposure of our house.
nitehawk55
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I've sprayed automotive tar undercoating you can get in spray cans to seal up tree wounds and stop bugs .
Roofing tar and a brush would work too .
Roofing tar and a brush would work too .
The scar has nice callous wood growing around the edge. Coating the wound is a past practice and is no longer considered proper practice. It traps fungal spores and creates an environment more suitable for fungal growth.
Leave it alone.
Leave it alone.
Yes, I understand. I just meant that topping a Norway is not a good way to lighten up the load the surviving limbs are carrying. Painting and sealing is not good either. They just hold moisture in and cause it to rot faster from the inside out. Keeping it open and dry is about the best you can do. A picture from farther back, showing the relationship to the house, would help. Norway's are my favorite Maples, but Maples are Maples, and they rot faster than the heal. If it is dangerous to the house, it may be time to let it go. Like I said, better, or more pics, may help. If the leads are not directly over the house you may be OK. A hands on evaluation would be best. You could cable the main leads so they support each other. But, that may be just throwing good money after bad, Joe.
We quit using Treekote wound dressing 40 years ago because, 1. It can't seal tight enough to keep bugs from coming in around the edges, and 2, It holds ALL of the natural moisture in the tree behind it in the dark with no exposure to sun and wind so It NEVER dries out, Joe.
Well I was concerned about water getting in the tree and accelerating the rotting process. There is already a hole there for water to run into when it rains. When that limb first broke off, I tried to do some cutting of the wound to make it shed water, but apparently the end grains absorbed it anyway. That limb to the right of the wound poses no threat to the house. I will post a photo of the tree in relation to the house later today. Even the limb that broke off merely brushed the house when it broke.
Sorry, that's not reasoning, or my opinion. It's scientific, biological fact. Bark has viable, living tissue under it so it doesn't rot. If bark has dead tissue under it, it DOES ROT, that's how we get hollow trees with good bark all the way around. That's why the practice of using Treekote ended 40 years ago. It created the conditions that promoted rot. Treekote was a product that was made just for tree care, and it was found that it did more harm than good. Spraying bed liner or other products on it, that were not made for tree care, are even worse. They have chemicals in them that can burn and kill the surrounding live tissue, breaking the seal, they were sprayed on to create. In the old days we would remove as much of the spongy tissue as possible and cut a "V" at the bottom of the wound to help it drain. That was found not to be very helpful over time. It also created more trauma to living tissue.
As to "just leave it". That may be the final outcome. But, I'd have a reliable tree company take a look. Tell them you really want to keep the tree. If they say it has to go, get another opinion. If they say it has to go, start thinking about removal, Joe.
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
I was kinda being a bit flippant with my "sounds like bark" comment. Which I'll stick to, because your reasoning is off kilter, even though you arrive at the correct answer; ergo: tree wound dressings are not beneficial.
You mention V cuts to enhance draining were "not helpful" over time. (and neither were drain tubes for bacterial wetwood).
It doesn't work because compartmentalization boundaries (CODIT) are broken, allowing decay to spread.
Keeping wood surfaces dry isn't the issue here!!!
Takes a long time for a submerged wooden boat to rot away in fresh water.
My fence posts (peeled; no bark) disintegrate at ground level, where the soil is intermittently dry / wet. Lotsa oxygen. Three feet underground, (uniformly wet clay soil) they are good shape. How weird is that, huh?
Less oxygen less rot. The deeper the boat, the slower the decay, Joe.
I would be inclined to do some pruning/thinning on the right side to aesthetically balance the tree. Other than that, I see little hazard as there doesn't seem to be any significant targets.
Pelorus
Uva uvam vivendo varia fit
Agree.
An impermeable (no oxygen!) wound dressing would then "theoretically" be beneficial.
Toronado3800
ArboristSite Member
FWIW, if the wound is huge, irregular and the tree is not going to encapsulate it in a decade I question Shigo and CODIT. Put simply I think that tree is not going to Compartmentalize that wound. You are on scene and if you think it is going to seal off especially that lower section in just a few years I may change my mind.
Not sure I have a GREAT recommendation for what to coat it with. My neighbor does that undercoating thing also. Crazy it doesn't kill trees.
Not sure I have a GREAT recommendation for what to coat it with. My neighbor does that undercoating thing also. Crazy it doesn't kill trees.
To me your reply is very unclear. I have no idea what Shigo and CODIT is.
Interior rotting has already started as I can see a hole towards the center of that wound. I was looking for some ideas for keeping water funneling into that cavity and accelerating the rotting process. I guess there are none that would be beneficial.
Dr. Alex Shigo pioneered the Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees, or CODIT. As Pelorus said, the old practice of cutting "V's" in the bottom of the wound, to drain water, do more harm than good because they break that compartmentalized zone allowing decay to spread, Joe.
