Norway Maple SGA Root Girdling – Can this be saved?

[Del_]

Like a lot of trees, it looks to have been planted too deeply.

I'd get rid of that maple and plant a replacement. You likely have a hard subsoil from all of the construction work.

 

[tedantle]

Like a lot of trees, it looks to have been planted too deeply.

I'd get rid of that maple and plant a replacement. You likely have a hard subsoil from all of the construction work.

So the subsoil has to be remediated before I can plant a new tree.

The glory of home ownership.

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[Del_]

So the subsoil has to be remediated before I can plant a new tree.

The glory of home ownership.

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You can get or make probes that easily test soil compaction.

 

[tedantle]

You can get or make probes that easily test soil compaction.

Thank you Del

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[ATH]

Like a lot of trees, it looks to have been planted too deeply.

I'd get rid of that maple and plant a replacement. You likely have a hard subsoil from all of the construction work.

Pretty typical of any construction over last 30 years. The longer that tree is there, the better the soil will get...Norway maple is never a "permanent" tree...but they can be useful for a time.

 

[tedantle]

I have removed more material. This shows a progression at a point of the tree that I was considering to "cut" or start to remediate. If you look closely in the middle you can see the metal basket from the nursery. Pictures Maple Tree Girdling Root1c & d, show portions of the metal basket in the middle.

 

[tedantle]

I have removed more material. This shows a progression at a point of the tree that I was considering to "cut" or start to remediate. If you look closely in the middle you can see the metal basket from the nursery. Pictures Maple Tree Girdling Root1c & d, show portions of the metal basket in the middle.

Maple Tree Girdling Root1d.... metal basket in middle

 

[Raintree]

Tedantle, looks like you really want to try & save this disaster of a tree. Don't know any experienced Arborists that would take one look at that root bound mess and think it's a good idea. If you succeed in cutting the first ring of roots you have a secondary ring waiting in the wings. Then there's the wire basket, mean while this invasive weed of a tree is declining. Plant a good replacement tree, kick dirt back over the girdle fest and walk away. Back in the day I would try and save them all, now many years later I've become more of a realist.

 

[tedantle]

Thank you for the reality check.... I got rid of the dirt. I'll replace it and adjust my expectations. I would like to sustain for 4 more years.. . Fingers crossed.

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[tedantle]

Tedantle, looks like you really want to try & save this disaster of a tree. Don't know any experienced Arborists that would take one look at that root bound mess and think it's a good idea. If you succeed in cutting the first ring of roots you have a secondary ring waiting in the wings. Then there's the wire basket, mean while this invasive weed of a tree is declining. Plant a good replacement tree, kick dirt back over the girdle fest and walk away. Back in the day I would try and save them all, now many years later I've become more of a realist.

"Girdle fest" ROTFLMAO! (brutal)

 

[tedantle]

Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’ is the actual species

 

[tedantle]

Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’ is the actual species

Based on this information, it gives me new hope... that my frank'n tree may survive despite poor planting techniques.

http://nyis.info/invasive_species/norway-maple/

 

[tedantle]

Actually I have no "hope" but Crimson King's are not "invasive".

 

[tedantle]

Update. I cut some of the roots between #1 left to #9, pictures in the thread with numbers on Blue tape. Then I threw some mulch to cover the roots back up. There was some per-mature "leaf drop", but it is starting into fall. We'll have to wait til next spring to see the results.


Thanks to everyone who has helped with my challenge.


Cheers!

 

[tedantle]

UPDATE - I removed 10% of binding roots last year. In the fall I will remove another 20%. Goal is to keep the tree for another 4 - 5 years, when I move. The first picture is this year, the second is last year.

 

[ATH]

Thanks for the update! Good to see progress so quickly.

 

[ArtB]

Yep , you did good, impressive improvement in green!

 

[beckyR]

Yay! I'm doing the same thing with my maple tree right now. You give me hope. Thank you!