Need advice for Maple Tree Care

[oneoldbanjo]

We have a Maple tree that sits about 50 feet from our house. The tree is about 24 inches in diameter and it is located about 50 feet from our pond. The tree provides nice shade and is a tree that we want to keep as long as possible. The tree has numerous small branches that die and fall out each year, and the previous 2 years we have had heavy droughts in the late summer.

This tree has always had a group of branches in the tallest part of the tree where the leaves turn color and fall off long before any other trees in the area turn. This year there seems to be a number of limbs sticking out of the canopy that are dead and the tree looks a bit scraggly compared to what it looked like in other years. I also noticed that the two largest limbs have large areas where the bark is missing on a substatial portion of the limb - but the missing bark does not go all the way around the branch - maybe about 30%-40%.

I can trim out the dead branches - but I don't know what I should do with the wood where the bark is missing. Any help is appreciated.View attachment 196572View attachment 196573View attachment 196574View attachment 196575View attachment 196576

 

[treeseer]

the two largest limbs have large areas where the bark is missing on a substatial portion of the limb - but the missing bark does not go all the way around the branch - maybe about 30%-40%.

I can trim out the dead branches - but I don't know what I should do with the wood where the bark is missing.

the best thing you can do for those cankers is get a truckload of mulch and spread it under the branches. that will help the tree grow stronger and grow more scar tissue to hold those limbs up. o

ther than that, removing dead loose bark and rot will slow decay. too late for sealants. pics above those wounds would bei nteresting--might indicate lightning strike.

other than that keep pruning out the dead wood if you want, but hire an arborist to assess as well.