Two maples - one due to be removed. Hope for the other?

woolfie

Hi, I'm really glad I found this site and have spent some time reading through the other threads so I know already how helpful you can all be.

Hopefully you'll be able to shed some light on the issues I'm seeing on the trees in my back yard. I'm in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - so cold winters (-25C) and hot summers (+30C).

Along the back fence of our yard we have a row of maple trees and one in particular seems to have had it. We've had an arborist out to have a look at it - they've done great work for us in the past and I have no hesitations using them again, but a second opinion doesn't hurt, does it?

The arborist reckons that these two trees have verticillium wilt (although no lab test was performed to confirm).

Here are pics of tree #1 which is the one I really wonder if it can be saved. He suggests removing it, but I'm wondering whether pruning the dead branches will give it any hope, or is this just delaying the inevitable and it should be removed now?:
(the middle of the 3 trees in this pic)

Tree #2 is further along and the plan is to remove this tree:


Thanks,

woolfie

southsoundtree

What is a lab test going to cost? What criteria is the arborist using to to diagnose VW? Did they give you a prognosis? Options for treatment? All good questions to find out more about if your arborist knows what's what. If they get defensive, maybe they don't have all the answers. If they have all the answers, they should be happy to share with you so that you make an informed decision.

Eric Frei

woolfie

There's some great information and links in this previous post.

Blackening bark of maple

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TreeSpecialist

if it is verticillium wilt, there are simple diagnostic symptoms visible in the field.

Verticillium is a vascular wilt disease that causes a black streaking in the woody tissue of the infected tree.

Removal of the tree right away is the best treatment for the area.

The best way to avoid verticillium wilt is prevention and sanitation.

First, mulch around your trees, keeping the mulch about 1-2 inches away from the trunk, so the possibility of mechanical injury from weed whackers and lawn mowers is greatly reduced.

Second, susceptible trees should not be planted in areas where the disease has previously occurred.

The following species are susceptible to verticillium wilt: Catalpa, Russian olive, redbud, smoketree, goldenrain tree, cherry and barberry.

Many trees and shrubs are resistant to the fungus and can be planted in infested soil. They include: pines, spruce, yew, junipers, arborvitae, apple and crabapple, hackberry, sweetgum, sycamore, walnut, hickory, and linden.

One observation- these trees are planted entirely too close to the fence. Keeping the grass down at the fence line may have caused the problem with mechanical injuries at the base of the tree.

If these trees continue to survive, they will cause the fence a great deal of trouble.

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ShadeTreeFan

One other point to take away is If it is infact VW all your trees are probably already infected of surly in the process of being.
Again as somebody else pointed out here it is a soil born fungus and the size of your trees and their close proximity to each other means they most certainly all have overlapping and intertwined root masses. So I can not say from these pictures that VW is infact the trees problem but if you see that start happening on your other trees here yet this year you can say it probably was, and again if it is they most likely all will have it yet this year, and they all should be cut down. If you do replace them, or ever plant any more trees in your yard make sure none of them are maples as they all will fail and die from this same disease.

Sorry for the bad news but until you have the problem tested and know for sure if it is infact VW we are only guessing.
Here is a helpful link on what exactly VW is and what it does if you were wondering.

Verticillium Wilt of Trees and Shrubs

woolfie

Good point. I forgot to mention in my original post that the arborist did indeed cut a branch when he came to inspect it and found the streaking you mention - hence his diagnosis.

Given that this streaking was found, is a lab test really necessary? Are the wilt symptoms and streaking fairly conclusive?

I agree that the trees are too close to the fence. It seems that the original owner of our house planted all the trees in the wrong place (e.g. we have an oak which is too close to the house too). I think the trees were planting near the lot line initially, before the fence was added a few years later on the lot line.

When mowing the lawn, I'll certainly be much more careful about roots and trunks now (not that I was running wild with a weed whacker before...).

ShadeTreeFan

Woolfie-
I would say you most like have enough evidence to state it is in fact VW.
Especial if that was a certified Arborist you had come over. So somewhat good news is you know what your dealing with and what your tree(s) have. Bad news is there is a 98% chance with in the next year or 2 all of your maples in your backyard will contract this and show symptoms.
Depending on the strain it could take 2-3 years to kill off the trees or at minimum cause so much die back it is unpleasant to look at.
Or worst case all of your trees could essential be living their last growing season right now.

As I stated before if you do replant do not use any type of maple, they will all fall to this disease. Three types of trees which can live in this environment are Apple, Honey Locust & Hawthorn. And I believe all 3 of these tree types can survive up their in the great white north of OH- Canada. I live in central Minnesota and they all do just fine here.

Good Luck.

Brent Ferris

Yes Shadetreefan -- all three trees - apple, honey locust and hawthorn will do fine in Ottawa, as long as the winter temperatures do not dip to -40 C and stay there.

woolfie

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice.

I'll definitely have the two trees removed this year and keep an eye on the others.

From the other links that were posted (some which I'd already seen from google searches before finding this forum), I'm hoping that the remaining trees can resist the disease...

From Verticillium Wilt of Trees and Shrubs
"Recurrence of wilt in ensuing years is unpredictable, as is its severity."
and "Landscape trees with recent wilt symptoms should not be removed immediately. They may "recover" and perform fairly well with some environmental manipulation. In general, the most resistant plants are those grown in moderately fertile soil in which the balance of major nutrients is tipped slightly toward high potassium and low nitrogen. Generously watered plants are often invaded less extensively than those under moderate to severe water stress."

ShadeTreeFan

That is probably a good plan to not just go in full tilt and clean your back yard out. They might survive but the might get pretty unpleasant looking as well, if you do see dieback of the canopy make sure to cut them off and dispose of properly, burning would be the best. The dead limbs are a call to all insects which will further stress the already weakened tree.

Good luck with whatever you chose.