Maple Trunk Rot from Old Pruning Wound

Nature of Decay

Decay fungi in old pruning wounds consume dead heartwood but do not kill living tissue. The tree can live for decades with a hollow trunk.

Remove loose bark to aid wound closure.
Monitor for borer signs (sawdust, holes). If present, spray wound with Merit or Onyx.
Fertilize with 10-10-10 at 1 lb per inch trunk diameter (spring and fall) to boost vigor.

No treatment stops the decay; maintain health to slow progression.

Trees: Saving a Dog-Damaged Young Maple: Wound Care and Borer Prevention; That "Vine" on Your Maple Is Not a Root—Here's How to Remove It Safely; Crimson Maple Trunk Crack: Fertilize and Protect from Borers; Maple Sunscald: Wrap, Fertilize, Protect from Borers; Maple Trunk Split: Wound Healing and Borer Prevention; Treating Borer Damage and Sap Flow in Crimson Maple; Borer Damage on Mature Silver Maple; Maple Sap Flow After Utility Pruning: Normal and Temporary; Ice Storm Damage on Silver Hybrid Maple: Wound Care; Maple Tree Decline from Dry Rot: Borer Damage and Fertilization Strategy

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