Weeping Cherry Tree-Hollow sounding root

[Kru]

Hello! New forum member here.

My husband and I recently purchased a home with several well-established trees, most of which unfortunately have their own issues. According the neighbors none of trees ever received pruning or any other treatment. There are also several large black walnut trees bordering our property, which I've been told create a poisonous environment for many trees and plants.

The first problem I'd like to tackle is an issue with a root of a weeping cherry that is protruding above ground. The tree is about 20 ft from a black walnut.

General information on the tree:

Unsure of the age, but the trunk is about a foot in diameter and the tree is at least 3 stories high. All of the major branches are alive and producing leaves/flowers, but there are many small branches that appear to be dead throughout the tree. The outward appearance of the foliage is healthy, though. I don't think anyone notices any of the small dead branches except me.

Two very large roots are protruding out of the ground. They begin right at the base of the tree. The above-ground portion of one of the roots is larger in diameter than that of the tree and tapers off for about 9 feet before it goes entirely underground. At some point in time someone seemed to have used a power tool to remove part of the above ground portion, but only half a foot of the 9 ft of length. Most of the above ground roots are covered in moss.bvg

My main concern is that about 1.5 ft away from the base of the tree, the root appears to have a hollow compartment. It sounds hollow when I tap on the bark, there is a large patch of dried sap right below the area (no new sap for at least 6 months), and there is increased ant activity in the area. I think they may have a nest inside. Carpenter ants are common in my area.

Three questions about this tree, keeping in mind I would like to preserve the tree and keep it thriving for as long as possible:

1. Regarding the hollow root: I've read the information referred to in Tree Services Magazine - FEATURES - To Foam or Not to Foam, which was referenced in another thread. From what I gathered, it would be a good idea to clean out the hollow portion of any dead wood, being careful not to disturb the live wood, and then fill with a foam. I wanted to make sure that advise would be good for roots as well, though.

2. Should I try to cover the above ground portions of the roots? For a good 3' diameter around the tree, that would require raising the terrain level by over 1', so I'm hoping it's ok to leave as is.

3. I'm fairly certain this tree was never pruned. About a foot from the point of grafting, the tree splits into 5 or 6 vertical branches with no clear leader, and the 3 which are positioned in the center (where a leader should be) are actually thinner than those on the outside. I live in SE PA, and we do get ice/snow in the winter, and had a pretty heavy season. The tree did not suffer any damage, even with heavy ice build up. Should I be concerned about pruning this type of tree?

Thank you in advance for any help. It is greatly appreciated.
~Kru

 

[ch woodchuck]

Your descriptions are well written....Visual clues are an important tool in analyzing these problems.Can you post several pictures ?

 

[Kru]

Here are some photos I took a while ago for other purposes. I'll try to get some better photos soon to help diagnose, but I have a newborn. Anything that can't be done while nursing has been a little difficult

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[ch woodchuck]

The dead branches in the upper canopies could be an indication of heart rot/root rot.Trees in that genus,prunus...plums,cherries,peaches,at risk.Too much water can be part of the issue.Wet soggy soil around the root system is a problem I see quite often.I'm not sure..just throwing out ideas.The trees could use a good cleaning,removing extraneous,crossing branches.
As far as the protruding root?Personally..I thinks it gives the tree character,and looks fine.Horizional roots add stability to the tree,holding it upright,which makes that root important.trees produce a wall(callus)that protects ilving wood from the infected wood.That may be the case with that root.What you're probably hearing is the dead wood.More that likely part of that root is still fuctioning,adding stability and providing nutrients through that portion that is walled off from the infection.Generally we do not fill cavities,unless it's a matter of aesthetics.There are products that are used to paint over the foam that can be colored,textured to closely resemble the tree bark.As I said it looks fine...but thats me...5 or 6 vertical branches?Too difficult to see from the pics.The basic shapes,from what I see look fine.They just need some TLC.
A good experienced arborist whose expertise is ornamental pruning would help...

Forgot!Don't know about the sap flow...Might look for boring insects in that area.
Carpenter ants generally aren't a problem.Might try your local ag. dept for that solution
Best I can do from this distance...good luck

 

[Kru]

The dead branches in the upper canopies could be an indication of heart rot/root rot.Trees in that genus,prunus...plums,cherries,peaches,at risk.Too much water can be part of the issue.Wet soggy soil around the root system is a problem I see quite often.I'm not sure..just throwing out ideas. The trees could use a good cleaning,removing extraneous,crossing branches.

If you're referring to the bare branches you see in the 4th picture, those are actually the black walnuts that are directly behind my tree. I don't think you can see any of the bare branches from any of those pictures. However, the ground could retain excess water. My lot is at the bottom of a hill, so we get run off on that side of the property from above. We're having a difficult time growing grass in some areas towards the back and sides of the property where moss has taken over.

As far as the protruding root?Personally..I thinks it gives the tree character,and looks fine.

I like it too and was hoping it wouldn't need to be burried

Horizional roots add stability to the tree,holding it upright,which makes that root important.trees produce a wall(callus)that protects ilving wood from the infected wood.That may be the case with that root.What you're probably hearing is the dead wood.More that likely part of that root is still fuctioning,adding stability and providing nutrients through that portion that is walled off from the infection.Generally we do not fill cavities,unless it's a matter of aesthetics.There are products that are used to paint over the foam that can be colored,textured to closely resemble the tree bark.As I said it looks fine...but thats me...5

I'm pretty sure that part of the root is hollow. Just above the dried sap there is a ~ 6 in patch of bark which gives when I push on it. The majority of the root definitely seems intact.

I'll try to get better pics tomorrow. Thanks for help!