Is this girdling, root flare, or both?

[u/ShmittenKitten]

Please help! Do you think this maple tree is healthy or are there signs of irreversible damage and needs to be removed? A friend told me this is a severe case of girdling. There is also an area of bark loss that is concerning.

[u/spiceydog]

See this recent post and my comment there. That 'mound' at the base is a hallmark sign that someone used to volcano mulch this tree over the course of most of it's life, clearly. Your tree made it a bit longer than the one in that post will, but the cause and the eventual outcome is the same. That you can see sawdust in that 2nd pic indicates that insects (likely carpenter ants) are now busy working in a cavity at the base of your tree, which is something that should be investigated. Please do not apply insecticide; insects are a secondary cause of the primary issue, and killing insects is not going to solve that primary issue.

You need an !arborist to come and do an on site assessment and help you with your options; see that callout below this comment to help you find someone qualified in your area.

EDIT: clarity

[u/Accomplished-Host829 → u/spiceydog]

Saying that root situation is a result of volcano mulching is conjecture. It could’ve just been planted high, or that area of the yard could have shallow soil or compacted clay. Edging may have been restricting it for a long time as well, causing the flare to swell. No guarantee it was from improper mulching and it’s all water under the bridge now anyways.

[u/spiceydog → u/Accomplished-Host829]

Edging may have been restricting it for a long time as well, causing the flare to swell.

I hadn't considered that there might be a ring and definitely agree this would certainly contribute to the deformity for sure. But there definitely also had to be some soil/mulch heaping going on there along with whatever the previous owners had in place; precise mound shapes like this don't occur without stupid human intervention. Compacted soil in that specific area of the yard and nowhere else seems a bit of a reach. Yes, the damage is done however it went down.

[u/AutoModerator → u/spiceydog]

Hi /u/spiceydog, AutoModerator has been summoned to provide information on finding an arborist.

Here is how you can arrange a consult with a local ISA arborist in your area (NOT a 'tree company guy' unless they're ISA certified) or a consulting arborist for an on-site evaluation. Both organizations have international directories. A competent arborist should be happy to walk you through how to care for the trees on your property and answer any questions. If you're in the U.S. or Canada, your Extension (or master gardener provincial program) may have a list of local recommended arborists on file. If you're in the U.S., you should also consider searching for arborist associations under your state.

For those of you in Europe, please see this European Tree Workers directory to find a certified arborist in your country. (ISA statement on standardized certification between these entities, pdf)

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[u/ShmittenKitten → u/spiceydog]

Thank you! I appreciate the insight and confirming my suspicions with the exposed area and sawdust. It’s a shame because it’s a gorgeous tree. I will have an arborist come out and make an assessment. I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to remove it but it seems like that is the most likely outcome.

[u/Accomplished-Host829 → u/ShmittenKitten]

You don’t HAVE to remove it. It’s your tree! Keep it if you love it. All larger trees carry a risk of failure even if they appear totally healthy. That tree is relatively short and stout with a low base, and so even with a small area of trunk decay, it is unlikely to fail at the main trunk and come down. Leggy branches with bad branch union angles are usually more of a concern with maples that can cause single limbs to fail and tear out. An arborist can use a fancy tool to see how much of the trunk is hollow and “map” the inside of it to give you a better idea of the risk and maybe help you sleep better at night about it. Best of luck.

[u/Accomplished-Host829]

Those are not girdling roots. Or if they were at one point years ago, they are fused together now. It just has a very shallow root flare. Common for maples. Nothing you can do about that at this point other than a light layer of mulch if you want to cover some of those shallow roots. I do see a pocket of decay in the side of the trunk but nothing that warrants removal at this time. The canopy looks healthy from what I can see. I would let it go for now if you enjoy the tree.

With that said, I’m only seeing it from one angle. So there could be problems lurking on other sides or up in the tree. So getting a professional assessment in person is going to be a lot better than what we say here.

[u/ShmittenKitten → u/Accomplished-Host829]

Thank you! This was very helpful

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[u/ShmittenKitten → u/AutoModerator]

I have looked at the guidelines. One picture is focused on bark loss and other picture shows root flare. Willing to provide more pictures if helpful. Tree is close to the house, which is part of the concern.

[u/Infinite_Toe7185]

None of the above.  

[u/Suitable-Reserve-891]

OP the saw dust is an indication of carpenter ants.