Question
QUESTION: I have a 4-5" Autumn Blaze Maple that I planted in Fall 2006.  Last spring I noticed some of the top branches lost their leaves and appeared to be dead.  This year the entire top of the tree is dead and the branches appear to be turning black almost.  Now the lower part of the trunk on the south side of the tree is starting to complete split and fall off.  Do you have any idea what is happening?  I live in Northern Illinois.  Thanks!

ANSWER: The problem could be cold injury.  Cut or prune off all the dead tissue.  Living tissue can be determined by scraping the bark with your fingernail of a knife and looking for green living tissue underneath.  Identify where the interface is between the living and dead tissue and cut everything above the living tissue off with pruners.  The splitting trunk is the main sign of cold injury.  You may need to cut the splitting side off to save the tree (no matter what this looks like at this point).  Fertilize the tree with a slow release tree fertilizer and keep watered in dry conditions.  Let me know your results in a week or so.  Thanks.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm not sure I fully understand what you mean by cutting the side of the splitting drunk.  The trunk is only a couple of inches thick at best so are you saying to peel off the bark or literally cut into the trunk and cut the bad part out like you would with a potato?  Is there any way to send you images?  Thanks-Josh

Answer
Yeah---it is hard to visualize without a picture.  Please send pictures to [email protected]. It sounds like cold injury with the splitting bark.  If this is the case we are both out of luck and so is the tree.  Go ahead and send pictures and lets see if anything can be done.  Thanks.