Q.How to Identify What Is Happening to My Japanese Maple Tree
Ok, the tree is about 14 to 15 years old. This year after winter we noticed that the trunk is splitting in half from the top down. The trunk is like a cross and on one of the two branches that form the cross, it is starting to split. Can anybody tell me why and how can I save it? I love this tree. The tree is about 4′ feet tall and about 14 to 15 feet wide. It is a Japanese Red Princess Crimson, something like that. Help.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
It is hard to say what caused the damage, but I would venture to guess that the weight from snow and ice may have caused the trunk to fail.
You can bolt the pieces back together. This article will have more information on how to do that:
http://essmextension.tamu.edu/treecarekit/index.php/after-the-storm/tree-damage-and-hazard-assessment/repairing-storm-damaged-trees/ (in the split fork section)
