Any love for a silver maple? (And looking for evaluation in Cleveland OH)

[semifnordic]

Just from it being a silver maple, I can hear people screaming "No" from here!...


Tree is a large silver maple backyard tree at my grandmother's (strategically located between the house, the garage, and the neighbor's garage). I climbed it earlier this year, mostly for fun / cleared out some dead branches while I was up there (it seems to have a never-ending supply of sticks and small branches that it self-prunes). While up in it, I noticed that many branches have old wounds, presumably from dead / broken-off branches, on their upper surfaces, which have turned into little pools of water with rot extending into the branches. One of the main leaders also has a spot where it looks like a large branch (10-12") was removed many years ago that's now a pool of muck extending down it -- I stayed off that side of the tree, it was making me nervous.

This had made me a bit dubious about the structural integrity of this tree, but then again it's stood for a long time. However, last night a couple large branches (8-10") came down in a storm. These were not even any of the branches that I had been suspicious of, but they came down anyway, and do have some decay in their centers. In a stroke of luck, they were exactly the right size and position to fit between the house and the garage, and the only casualty was an old ornamental cherry tree that still hung on and blossomed every year

So, were these two branches the warning shots and this tree is a hazard that needs to go? Or was it just a silver maple doing silver maple things and shedding a bit of extra weight? And is there anyone in the Cleveland area who would be interested in a consultation / providing a professional opinion, since photos probably don't tell the whole story (unless it's truly an "it needs to go" situation -- I just love big old trees and hate to see them come down!)

 

[JD3000]

I visit Cleveland several times a year but can also give some referrals for folks that are based there.

 

[ATH]

I wouldn't take it out just based on what is there. That limb can be cleaned up and the tree will still look great. But that certainly is a reminder to have the tree inspected. What side of Cleveland are you on (I'm too far west for anything called 'Cleveland' - but knowing where could help with referrals). If it doesn't look like there is any remnant from that damage that is in immediate danger of falling, there is probably no big rush and you could wait until @JD3000 is next in the area...

 

[semifnordic]

It's at the far west edge of Cleveland -- Kamms Corners area / W. 162nd.

I'm going to take another look at it when it's not evening and raining, but from an initial look nothing else in the canopy had apparent damage. As you said, it's probably not an urgent thing, just prudent to get a more expert opinion.

Let me know your recommendations, or PM me if you're in the area / interested!

Oh, and hopefully it goes without saying that I expect to pay for eval, y'all are professionals. Just hoping to learn a few things in the process too!

 

[southsoundtree]

You can stand on an empty aluminum can if loaded uniformly, without defect.

Add defects, you need more 'sound rind thickness'.

IF you hacked the tree to be the shape of an aluminum can, it wouldn't ever fall over or collapse under its own weight.

If you reduce the loading on branches with end-weight reduction, the tree will be more stable.

I didn't see the pictures much. It needs an in-person evaluation by a competent arborist who is used to Tree Preservation. Someone who is TRAQ cert'ed MAY be good at the TRAQ evaluation process, but may not be good at preservation.

I could spot defects all day in trees that are 'fine' and keepers.

How long since the tree has had qualified, professional attention?

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Look at crown reduction rather than whole limb or whole tree removal

 

[southsoundtree]

Large limbs taken off will leave large wounds that will increase decay at the junction with other important tree parts (the main trunks that hold up the rest of the tree).

A bit PRUNED (not Wacked) off the ends, all over, and if there are very-overextended limbs, they may need more, to over-simplify.

 

[JeffGu]

That is very typical of Silver Maple trees in the midwest... most of the ones I remove are about that age and size and the majority of the decay is in the canopy. Usually all of the trunk and biggest stems are good, solid wood, and it's dropping limbs a foot in diameter or less, right at a defect. But, and this gets interesting, the last 3 or 4 years I happened to notice a pattern that eluded me in the past. Ohio is like Nebraska in many regards.. we get these thunderstorms accompanied by high winds. If the high winds start up before the storm arrives, they tend to drop the limbs with rot or defects, as the rain begins to soften up those defects. I believe this is because the winds seriously slow down the amount of water taken in by the tree. When it rains half the day, then the winds pick up toward evening, the whole tree is pretty waterlogged when the high winds hit, and I see big, wet branches (some with no defects or decay) dropping. Just like your tree.

Of course, this doesn't help much with the needed reduction pruning, but it might explain their seemingly random habit of dropping both sound wood and defective wood, in an almost alternating pattern. These trees have soft wood, and it gets worse when it's very wet.

As @southsoundtree said, they get very overextended laterals that are extremely heavy and soft with a lot of rain, and without reducing these, the potential for property damage is pretty high. This last couple of years, it's been ash trees and silver maple trees almost exclusively that are taking the big storm damage, here in Nebraska.

 

[semifnordic]

How long since the tree has had qualified, professional attention?

Probably never should probably change that

@JeffGu thanks, that's an interesting analysis on their behavior when wet.

Sounds like nobody so far thinks the tree needs to go, that's reassuring Would still like to get somebody experienced & competent locally to take a look at it with me -- @ATH @JD3000 let me know if you have recommendations or are interested yourselves!