My maple tree's roots have started climbing upwards in the trunk. The bark has started to come off. What to do

Question

Tree people give me high estimates of 100$$

Answer 1

Maple trees are notorious for their roots causing problems. They grow near the surface and many times they girdle the tree with their own roots and end up killing themselves. If this is happening you can try to cut off the roots that are surrounding the trunk before it has time to choke the tree to death. If the roots are just near or above the surface you can cover them with soil so you can mow without hitting them. Just don't cover them by more than about 2" of soil because maples get air to the roots by growing near the surface. If you covered them with a foot of soil you could kill them. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I agree with CollegeKid

Maples roots are a tangled mess of problems. I think that the estimate from the professionals isn't too bad. Not having seen the tree I can't say for sure though.

I would check the credentials of your professionals first. Insured? License? Member of the State Nursery and Landscape Association? Will there be a supervisor on site that has a background in horticulture or arborculture?

Your 100's of dollars may save you from 1,000's later or replacing the tree and starting from scratch.

Hope that this helps
Good luck-

Answer 3

If it is near the house or other structures including power lines I would use the pros, they have insurance and supposedly know what they are doing. If the bark is coming off you have firewood, (sorry). You might want to replant with a different species. Poplar is fast but dirty and short lived. Other hardwoods to consider might be Walnut, Beach, Oak, Horse Chestnut, apple(not for fruit but for scent of flowers, like Jap. Cherry) or Cherry. You might also consider some of the shrub like trees like Lilac. Not knowing your requirements for wind or shade it is hard to say more. But a dead tree is certainly a hazard and should be removed before a branch falls of and wrecks something, don't park under it.
Check your property insurance to see if this is covered.

Answer 4

You are the second person who has this problem that I have read hear this nite, the other was $500.00, so feel your getting a deal, it could be the area you all live in too, i never heard of this problem before and i live in WA state in a place called Maplevalley, we have tons of Maple trees all over the place.