Sick Maple over 100 years old! HELP!!!

[mjstro]

Hi,

I have a Maple in my front yard that is well over a hundred years old. It must be atleast 36" diameter. The trunk is so wide that I could only wrap my arms around it half way. I just bought the house a few months ago and the previous owners built a deck around the tree's trunk. The trunk has since grown into the deck and it's planks are imbedded into the Maple. The bark below the imbeded planks seems healthy, but the bark about 2 - 3 foot above, is peeling, discoloring and sickly looking.

I know I need to "free" the trunk from the deck...simply done w/ a saws all...but how do I remove the planks that are imbedded without hacking them out and causing more harm to the tree?

What can be done to help the bark / tree repair itself?

The crown of the tree in enormouse...do you recomend I have it pruned or just leave it alone??

Thanks.

Thanks

 

[Freakingstang]

pics help tremendously

 

[begleytree]

Pull those planks out of that tree. you'll be suprised how quickly it'll heal after that.
Anymore specifics will, as stated, require pics.
-Ralph

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Don't just make one cut in the deck boards and pry them out. Instead, make a couple cuts so you can pull the boards straight out without any prying, which would surely cause more damage, and please, don't call me Shirley.

 

[geofore]

old maple

When you have inbeded wood, cut the hole in the deck bigger than you think you'll need. The tree will put on about 3/4" a year. First cut near the trunk 3" out, next cut 1 foot out from the trunk. You'll need space to work. Don't try to pull the wood out in one piece, break it up gently into slivers with a chisel. Use a small hammer, light taps, so you don't chisel into the trunk. A little piece at a time, otherwise you're going to rip the bark off and cause more harm.
Your description sounds like a silver maple planted in the early 40's. It would be 3' dia. and near 85' tall now if it was planted in the open. Need a picture of the bark to tell. The silver maples planted around here in the 40's are being cut down now and most are 3'+ and the wind is blowing them apart. The ones planted in 1908 were 5'+ and the last one was taken down last year.

 

[Lumberjacked]

Is it girdling all the way around? The reason I ask is, is this tree really sick? Is it showing signs of die-back discoloration in the leaves etc.? If there are only a few boards embedded in the trunk I am certain that they would cause such noticable and widespread signs on a tree of that caliper. You might have a more severe problem under the deck in the soil. Lack of water and soil compaction could be just few. Otherwise just follow the directions giving above to remove the deck.

 

[treeseer]

Considering the size and value of your trees, I recommend that you get a qualified arborist on site. people you talk to on the internet might be nuts, and even if not, they cannot see your trees, much less touch them.

 

[geofore]

maple pics

This is why it would be nice to have a pic or two to read the bark. Bark patterns change as the tree feels the effects of different things. Without a pic, we're in the dark, guessing.

 

[mjstro]

Thanks

I'll try and get some photo's up by weeks end. Thanks again!

 

[pbtree]

I'll try and get some photo's up by weeks end. Thanks again!

Pics of both the trunk area and the crown would be a good thing...