The side closest to my house is dying off. I hacked off most of the dead limbs so it doesn't hit the house. The other half seems OK? I've had it looked at a few times and have heard "it's fine" / "fungus" / "roots are strangling it". Cicada emergence this spring made it worse. Is it toast?
by MikeLikeBike37
3 Comments
If it’s a lost cause, what should I replace it with? I’m in Northern Illinois.
I see a sidewalk of sorts on the same side that has died off. It’s quite possible that whoever installed it ripped up the shallow roots maples have.
The tree itself will survive. It’s thriving on the other side, but you aren’t likely to see anything on the side in question, especially any time soon.
You could hire someone who knows what they’re doing and reshape it. You’ll lose the majority of the canopy, but the end result (regrowth) may be more even.
I’m not an arborist, though, so I could be way off base.
Poor structure, poor maintenance, poor species. Have an ISA Certified Arborist out there to assess.