Can you advise us what to do about this tree?

Question: Our tree is very old and tall. We would hate to lose it. Can you tell us what is going on and how we can help it?

responder: Thank you for your question!   Laura S.      Michigan State University Extension Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer You may also contact the toll free MSU Extension lawn and garden hotline at 1-888-678-3464 with your gardening questions or visit www.migarden.msu.edu for Smart Gardening resources. Replied August 21, 2024, 8:13 AM EDT
response: Hi Barb, May we have a couple more pictures— one far enough back to see the whole tree and one showing a branch with leaves from about 2 -3 feet away?

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 21, 2024, 10:09 AM EDT
response: Thank you so answering!The tree is too tall to get photos of the leaves. I will try to send more photos of the damage and one leaf. I will see what I can do. I don’t know how to attach them to the email. I will try to figure it out. Barb Sent from my iPhone On Aug 21, 2024, at 8:14 AM, Ask Extension wrote:﻿

responder: Thank you for your question!   Laura S.      Michigan State University Extension Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer You may also contact the toll free MSU Extension lawn and garden hotline at 1-888-678-3464 with your gardening questions or visit www.migarden.msu.edu for Smart Gardening resources. Replied August 21, 2024, 10:14 AM EDT
response: Hi Barb, yes even one leaf would help. Also, do you see die back in the crown? Dead branches, thinner than usual leaf cover, or any visible ‘mushrooms’ growing on the tree? Here is how to attach more photos- To add pictures, click the link in your email and go into your question on the website. You can add 3 pictures per update. Click the “Drop files here or choose them” below the response box to attach them.  You can upload .jpg, .png, .gif, .txt, or .pdf.  NOTE- each picture must be 8mb or less.  thanks again,  Laura S.

responder: The Question Asker Replied August 21, 2024, 10:14 AM EDT
response: More photos of our sick tree. The leaf was on the ground. Tree leaves are green on the tree. The bright gray spots are from me using the flashlight for the photos. 
Hoping you can help!
Barb 















Sent from my iPhone

responder: Thank you for your question!   Laura S.      Michigan State University Extension Advanced Master Gardener Volunteer You may also contact the toll free MSU Extension lawn and garden hotline at 1-888-678-3464 with your gardening questions or visit www.migarden.msu.edu for Smart Gardening resources. Replied August 21, 2024, 10:43 AM EDT
response: Thank you for the additional information. I can’t see a branch clearly so I am not sure of the  species. The damage has been there some time, under the bark and now the bark is peeling away, revealing some rot.  Rot fungi enter a tree through some sort of earlier damage (mechanical damage like a lawnmower, insect, birds, too much moisture against the bark, storm damage) and can gradually affect the tree’s health. Once there it cannot be ‘cured’.  If this tree could fall and hurt someone, or damage a building or other property, you should have an  arborist with ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification assess the tree’s structural integrity.  Find them here by zip code search- http://www.treesaregood.org He/she can also assess the tree’s overall health, diagnose pest and diseases, and give you a plant care plan.  What you can do is— —Keep the tree watered during droughts, slow deep watering equivalent to 1 inch of water per week. Check soil after watering to be sure water reached soils 5-7 inches deep. —If sprinklers are hitting this tree redirect them so they don’t. If that isn’t possible, then only irrigate early in the day so the tree is dry by sunset. — Remove ground cover in a circle around the tree a 1-3 feet  out from the base of trunk. This helps keep the bark dry, reducing moisture held against the trunk. You can place a shredded bark or wood chip mulch in the bare area no deeper than 2 inches and not touching the main trunk. — Have the dead limbs pruned out by a professional. (Note that the professional should not climb the tree using spikes. Any tree service that does this for a live tree should not be hired.)  A visit from a certified arborist can assess the tree more fully, checking for insect or disease problems in the crown and in the root zone. He/she may suggest thinning surrounding trees so more sun gets to this tree.