Question
QUESTION: It is spring and all the trees are in bloom with their leave  or have green buds on
them except for my prized japanese seiryu maple. The buds are a purplish-
black color are are dusty/dry to the touch. Most of the little suckers (the tiny
baby branches) are like dry twigs. How can I tell if the tree is dead? And if it is
not dead, what should I do to revive it?

ANSWER: Start near the end of an upper branch and scrape a small bit of bark off and if the color under the bark is green the branch is still alive. If the color is brown not green the branch is dead at this point on the branch. If brown try other places on the tree and if no green is found the tree is dead. OR you can wait and see if it will leaf out but from what you describe it sounds like it is not alive. Sorry.

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QUESTION: Thank you so very much for your  insightful first input. I have followed your
suggestion of scraping some bark to see if the under skin is green. I am
happy to report that most of the branches and many of the purplish-black
colored suckers are green underneath! So my question now is: what should I
do? Should I check the branches and suckers that look dead and clip as much
dead wood and twigs out?

I note also that on many of the main branches, the bark on the outside is
green but there are occasional rings of a dark brown/grey color (about 1/2
inch wide). When I scrape bark on the green areas, the under skin is green.
When I scrape bark on the grey rings, the under skin is a straw color.  What
does this mean and what should I do?

Also, my nursery proprietor says to clip 6 - 8 inches from the tip each of the
smaller off-shooting branches (the ones that are no more than 1/4 inch
diameter) of the entire tree (and down to 1/4 inch near budding off-
shoot/twig). He says this may trick the branches into growing again. What do
you suggest?

Also, I note that I am in the mid-Atlantic area. We had a crazy hot spell the
other week and then it got cold, and then torrential rains, and now seasonal
temperature.

Regarding your requested rating status, I will rate very good once I figure out
how to get back to the rating page!

ANSWER: Sounds like with the drastic change in temperature the buds were frost bitten. If you cut all the branches back you may cut some that are still alive. I think I would wait and see--the tree should leaf out on it own. and then you can prune the dead twigs and branches off.

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QUESTION: Well, I just had a tree surgeon in this morning. He thought the dark rings
were a
result of disease, and then dug up around the trunk--which he says is caving
in
(at the bottom where it meets the soil). He said the roots underneath the
earth
were girdling and that it would be too risky and costly to try to do root work
at
this point.

Any input from you would be of help. Thanks

Answer
If maples are planted in correct the roots can wrap around the tree and girdle the trunk. If a tree shows symptoms of poor vigor such as small leaves, death of small limbs, top dieback or leaf scorch, the condition could be due to a girdling root. This problem occurs when a root entwines around another large root or the base of the tree and prevents or hinders water and nutrient movement. Often the girdling root occurs below ground level, indicated by a lack of root flare at the base of the trunk, but can only be confirmed by careful digging around the base of the tree. Norway maple is often affected by girdling roots.

Not all girdling roots need correcting. Only if the tree shows a decrease in vigor should action be taken. Remove the portion of the root that is girdling the tree; the open wound can then be treated with wound paint prior to covering with soil. Fertilization of the tree after root removal will help recovery. The use of proper planting techniques, especially making the hole large enough to accommodate the roots, will minimize the likelihood of girdling roots.



Here is a web link to a fact sheet on this problem. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1139.html