Question

we have a maple tree on our property, and have several times had truckloads of rock delivered, driving over the roots.about four to five feet from the base. I didn't think anything of it , but now i'm thinking this may be the cause of the problem.
It is dying. last year it lost it's leaves early in the season. now this year only 2 branches have leaves on.  also the whose trunk has leaves growing out of it. so maybe it can be saved. we had a tree service out. they said they might be able to save it by inserting nutrients all over it. 50% chance he says.  for $500.00.
what should we do????


Answer
The weight of the truck and the rock compacted the soil around the tree causing the roots to die and in turn the foliage and limbs died. The treatment is to the soil around the tree not the tree itself. The soil will need to be treated before the nutrients are added.
What has happened is the roots have been killed and the ones left can not support the manufacture of the same amount of foliage that they once could so the limbs die back. The new sprouting from the trunk will be the new limbs and the number and amount of these limbs will be based on the roots system that is left. Over time the tree may survive but may never be the same shape as before.
Here is a web link to information on treating the compacted soil around the tree. Then I would fertilize the area with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rat of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good.

http://www.grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance_treating_soil_compaction/