Marianne's Response

When to trim branches on a damaged scarlet maple tree

Our scarlet maple came out and looked good. Now the leaves have curled and dried. It fell over about two weeks ago and my husband said the large root, and a few other were broken off (or chewed off). Should we cut off the limbs or wait and see? Our last one lived until it was too large we had to remove it.

Posted by mary smith on May 19, 2014

Marianne's Response

Sounds like you may have two different problems. The curled and dried leaves could be the result of dry soil or of herbicide damage or perhaps whatever chewed the plant damaged a limb so that the foliage dried up. I suggest you cut off any broken limbs. Water the maple and add a mulch of wood chips on top of the roots and wait to see if the tree sends out new growth. If the damage was from an animal feeding on the branches or knocking over the tree it should recover and go on to grow into a beautiful tree. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti