QuestionI've got a sunset maple that I planted about 4 years ago. The last 2 years I have noticed that between the base of a branch and the tip on some of the branches, the leaves are nonexistent. It also has a slightly widened area about 1.5 to 2 feet up from the base-I can't tell if there is hole present there or not. Is this borer damage?
AnswerAs a tree grows the leaves appear to be on the outer part of the limbs and less near the trunk. This is normal. As afar as the swelling on the trunk this sounds like an insect called a borer. I would recommend that you spray the trunk with an insecticide called Merit. This will kill the insect in the trunk. Merit can be found at most nursery type stores.
Borers usually attack trees under stress so I would also recommend that you fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. If your area goes through a period of no rainfall I would also water the tree with 1 inch of water per week (place a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop).
