Save My Maple Please!!!

[Genesis Henriquez]

Hi All!

So my husband and I planted a tiny maple (2 1/2 - 3ft) two years ago when our son was born. We totally neglected the poor tree and it looks dead. Everyone is telling me to just give up on it but I can't... Because of its sentimental value. Is there anything I can do?

Please help...

 

[John_KAYS]

Photos?

You say it looks dead? Is it dead? If you clip a twig off and look at the cut - is it greenish at the cut or is it brown and dry? The best way to really know what is going on is to get a local arborist to take a look. -Find an Arborist- I would think if the tree was planted two years ago and never watered...very likely it is dead. Also if it was planted too low or too high it has a tough time staying alive.

I wish you luck! Sorry if it doesn't make it.

 

[Genesis Henriquez]

Here's a photo of it.

 

[Tr33Climb3r]

Get rid of that ring of half logs, remove all those green plants around the tree. Honestly you could dig up the whole thing. Find the root flare. Plant that at ground level. Give it some super thrive per the label. Mulch out but not up

 

[NE Tree]

That's great advice. I'll second that

 

[Genesis Henriquez]

Get rid of that ring of half logs, remove all those green plants around the tree. Honestly you could dig up the whole thing. Find the root flare. Plant that at ground level. Give it some super thrive per the label. Mulch out but not up

Sounds great. I am beyond grateful for your advice... Could I please get that in the "save the tree for dummies" version, please? Lol

I took off the logs already, and I got the removing the green plants that are around it. What is the root flare? And am I replanting that or the whole tree? I'm lost

 

[macswan]

Sounds great. I am beyond grateful for your advice... Could I please get that in the "save the tree for dummies" version, please? Lol

I took off the logs already, and I got the removing the green plants that are around it. What is the root flare? And am I replanting that or the whole tree? I'm lost

It looks like the tree was buried too deep. The root flare is the base of the trunk where it flares out as it goes down into the roots. You want that to be above ground level. And mulch should be away from the trunk of the tree by a couple of inches.

 

[Genesis Henriquez]

It looks like the tree was buried too deep. The root flare is the base of the trunk where it flares out as it goes down into the roots. You want that to be above ground level. And mulch should be away from the trunk of the tree by a couple of inches.

Ohhhhh, thank you for your explanation. What does it mean to mulch out but not up? & the super thrive part. I'm so sorry, I'm so oblivious to all of this.

I really do appreciate everyone's feedback though. Thank you all so much.

 

[Drumbo]

It means the mulch layer should be thin and form a sort of doughnut around the tree and that doughnut can be as wide as you want it to be.

 

[macswan]

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=t&ref=pd_sl_4l9d34xkit_b
Superthrive

 

[JeffGu]

We totally neglected the poor tree and it looks dead.

And please... don't buy him a puppy for sentimental reasons!

 

[CutHighnLetFly]

What does it mean to mulch out but not up?

Just so you know what to avoid, mulching up is referring to creating a mound or "volcano" around the base of the tree, burying the root zone.

 

[John_KAYS]

Yes, others have set you on the right track. The other thing I would suggest to keep in mind, after the tree is happy and healthy, is to get the pruning under control in the trees younger years. Don't wait until it is huge to think about what shape it should be. Pruning the tree when it is young will save you and the tree from a lot of trouble. To start off...make sure it has a dominant leader...that is to say, one top! You don't want a tree to develop with two tops growing from one union. And you should never "Top" the tree!

https://www.arborday.org/trees/pruning/

 

[John_KAYS]

Just want to emphasize, I'm suggesting the pruning as something for the back burner. Wait until the tree has recovered and is healthy and established. - But getting the tree at the proper depth and mulching and watering is for now.

And here is a bit about mulching: http://www.treesaregood.org/treecare/resources/ProperMulching.pdf

 

[Treezybreez]

I've heard that if you drill a hole in the trunk it helps with air flow.