Question
Red Maple has some rotting and fruting bodies at base of tree...bark damage.....How can you determine if the tree is salvageable/treatable or should be cut down? Thanks!

Answer
There are several decay type fungi that will enter wounds on maple trees. The fruiting bodies are the "flowers" of the fungi that is living in the woody cells of the tree. The outcome will be a gradual rotting of the wood and the tree becoming hollow. This will take many years depending on the tree. IF the leaves are green and it has a full foliage the tree is doing well. There is nothing that can be applied to the fungi to kill it. The decay fungi will not kill the tree but could weaken the trunk over many years. I would recommend that you fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good.Thios will improve the overall health of the tree.