When the leaves fell I noticed that the actual trunk at the top had been broken or cut off and a branch closest to the top had been banded to the trunk to grow upright next to it. Something nipped the top off my prized red maple seedling that I brought from my mom's house and planted last year. But cutting it off creates a new wound to heal over. please chime in thanks. Get a fence around the tree of chicken wire and far enough from the tree so that the deer will have a tough time pushing it over or trying to eat those yummy baby leaves through the wire. Drought. To Prune or Repair a Broken Japanese Maple Branch. “Make sure your tree gets a good soaking on an infrequent basis,” says Richter. Norway Maple top snapped off, resprouting from trunk. I'd just let it be. The tree has saved up energy over the winter and could easily put out new growth again. the tree is perfectly healthy but the home owner says it's too tall(50 feet). We lost all but 5 big branches coming out of the sides. If I did prune the branch off, half the tree would be gone. have any of you guys ever done this? The size of the tree varies by species, but they can grow anywhere from 18 to 80 feet. When assessing wind damage, it isn't always easy to tell if your maple trees will survive in the long term. Then in January, cut off the trunk a half inch above the nicest shoot (which should be a few feet tall after growing all summer). I planted a redwood tree about fifteen years ago. Identification: Black spots that range in size from a pin-prick to size of a half dollar (4 cm).Some reports say that the spots can get as big as two inches. It is still close to the same height it was when the top broke off. Hubby wanted to remove it thinking it was going to die anyway and it was truly an eyesore. Wind Damaged Maple Tree. Our Japanese Maple is 25 years old and was severely damaged after a hard Spring freeze 3 years ago. wouldent it look weird with a flat stump left on the top? Red maple trees thrive in wet soil, and are also sometimes called swamp maples. It's about 8 feet tall. Here are the typical results of tree topping and the associated costs. The tree seems to be healthy, it has grown bigger around at the base and the branches grow out but it will not grow up. This time of year this tree is putting out new growth. The Tree Keeps Growing – Fast: Topping doesn’t keep trees small. Since the main "trunk" (1/4 or 3/8 inch in diameter) was snapped off about one foot off the ground, the seedling has sprouted several very healthy side branches, the largest emanating from approximately 1 inch above the ground level. And they multiply exponentially each time they’re cut off. personally i think it's weird. Instead, it promotes the growth of water sprouts (thin branches that grow straight upward) that grow 4 to 10 times faster than normal branches. I purchased a red maple early this fall. The plant that is inspiring my anger this week is the Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) because my neighbor has a whole yard full of them and he has no interest in maintaining them or eliminating the danger that they present to my roof. 1. If the top totally dries up, remove the splint and let it lay on the ground. he wants us to climb up into the tree and cut from the top down about 20 feet. The tree will heal that easier than a fresh cut. Two or three years later a hawk landed on the tip and it broke off. This can happen when trees are grown in containers, and the problem is exacerbated when they are brought home from the nursery and planted too deep. With weeping Japanese Maples, it’s more of a challenge to find a balanced shape after a major break. this guy wants to hire me my friend who is a 20 year Arborist to cut a tree in half. Caused By: Fungi that tends to hide in leaf debris.Specific species include Rhytisma acerinum, R. americanum, and R. punctatum. Maple Tree Tar Spot. Some of the most common varieties include: Red maple trees have red blossoms in the spring, red fruit in summer, scarlet leaves in the fall and crimson bark and twigs in winter. A lack of adequate water can lead to death of the top part of a tree as well. Severe storms can be devastating for trees.