Any arborists?

[gregmcateer]

I am developing a Japanese style stroll garden and have about 90 acers, mostly various palmatums.

Could I hijack/ slide into the OP and ask AJB - we're interested in some different colour leaves and wondered are there any maples that will stay small (up to say 10-15 feet). If that's a dumb question, where should I look/ read to find reliable info?
Many thanks in advance and sorry for the hijack
Greg

 

[DrPhill]

I am nowhere near an expert, but if it is that bad, and with little remedy what would be wrong with taking a chainsaw down the join to widen it - hoping it heals and and that the healed scar drains better? If the other courses of action are ultimately destructive, and the tree is likely doomed, what is there to lose? Some acers (eg the sycamore at the end of the garden, and field maples in two previous properties) seem to bounce back from the cruellest treatment.

 

[Jackbequick]

You have a compression fork, two stems pressing against each other as they develop, one should have been pruned out during formative pruning on the nursery. Each year as they make their incremental growth they press a little harder and between them is a trapped layer of bark on each. Ultimately one will probably fail and break away leaving a wound. The included bark may not be complete and your photo suggests bacterial wet wood in the wound. This may disappear it is however an infection of the cambium layer and there is no cure. In my experience Maples often display this and many suffer no ill effect. The compression fork would concern me more..

Some pretty good advice given including replacing the tree. This doesn't sound healthy "recently developed a "leak" of brownish watery liquid "...noting 'recently' . I doubt that is sap.

The questioner could take a sample scraping to an horticultural product laboratory for bio-analysis or even just for a start call an arborist by telephone and explain and maybe avoid a service-call fee. Places which are well controlled 'scientifically' and have good resources such as Botanical Gardens might be a good place to take photos and sample.

Trees are not 'things' but intelligent, empathetic, sensible parts of a vast communications and environmental control system. If it is acting abnormally it is likely to not be well and may even have beetle infestation, fungus or serious disease.

Sometimes they are planted in the wrong environment and over-watered/over-fertilised. I hope we learn from you when you learn from an expert with certainty, what causes the condition.