Big Root Girdling Problem

[gorman]

I have this customer with a norway maple which has a BIG root girdling problem. This constricting has caused some dieback on that side of the trunk. Do you guys think it would cause more harm than good to try to sever the main choking root and pry it from the trunk bottom and how should it be done? Stump grinder and junk chainsaw? I've never dealt with a choking root this big.

 

[treemandan]

That one looks like its more grafted than girldeling. Add that to what looks like the trunk being being beat up and I would say chop it down.

 

[PaulPollard]

Hi, I'm new here. I just gotta say - take an axe to it - or an old chain - where it protrudes from the tree and see what happens.

I have only seen a hammer and chisel used before. It looks like the tap root though?

 

[treeseer]

that streak of rot is sealing pporly and goes up to your main fork so cabling will be in order; got a pic of the upper tree?

root can be prunedwhere it forks, to leave the part that grows away from the tree. prognosis not good on ones this big; recovery will be slooooooooow at best.

see attached for haffast directions i doubt its grafted yet but mebbe. plungecuts with chainsaw now verrry carrrefully to take off pressure but wait til september to try removing

 

[gorman]

thanx treeseer. got a couple iphone crown pics here.

 

[treeseer]

nice crown pics but it's the fork we need to see re need for support. and you'll need to poke into the fork from above to see how mushy it is in there. also pull dead bark away from the edges of the canker to look for scar tissue.

or lack of.

 

[gorman]

I don't have any up close pics of the crotch but i did probe it and the bark was flaking off all the way up to the crotch and beyond. It was pretty mushy in there too. Like a twinkie. These people want to save the tree as do I. I think I'll just try and sell them on a cabling and a root pruning. Thanks to all for the help and I'll keep you posted.