Food I make at home - instead of buying at the store
- Thread starter RCW
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Does anyone on here with sugar maples have a problem with them not producing sap and rotting from the inside out? I have a lot of OLD (my guess is 100+ years old) trees bordering 7 acres and they have been going dead on us. Last year we had to cut 8 down bordering a neighbors property. I know of 3 that are Hollow but are still alive. I've had a guy that taps trees in our end of town say its a disease killing them, but I don't recall what exactly it is...He used to tap ours a good 20 years ago but they stopped producing 
My guess on their age has to do with what we found in 2 trees we cut down to put in a driveway and house.... My gramps was cutting them up for firewood and happened to cut into an old wire hanging clip well inside the tree that did a number on his saw. He said back in the day electrical wires were hung along trees instead of separate poles. Eventually the tree grew around the clip like it was never there. As a kid I thought that was the coolest thing since sliced bread!
My guess on their age has to do with what we found in 2 trees we cut down to put in a driveway and house.... My gramps was cutting them up for firewood and happened to cut into an old wire hanging clip well inside the tree that did a number on his saw. He said back in the day electrical wires were hung along trees instead of separate poles. Eventually the tree grew around the clip like it was never there. As a kid I thought that was the coolest thing since sliced bread!
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RCW
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BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
In the northeast US, its not uncommon for a yard or street sugar maple to be 200-300 years old or more. They were there when the house or road was built, and been there ever since.
Over time, they can go through hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy early/late snows with leaves on, wires were hooked to them, signs were hung, cars hit them, soils get compacted, they get paved around, road salt....you get the picture.
When they get damage that allows water and fungi spores, etc. to get into the heart of the tree, over time they will fall apart. Especially if they are very old, and stressed from their environment.
Within 100 feet of my front door, we've lost 2 monsters in the last few years - one 4 foot and one 5 foot diameter at stump.
Over time, they can go through hurricanes, tornadoes, heavy early/late snows with leaves on, wires were hooked to them, signs were hung, cars hit them, soils get compacted, they get paved around, road salt....you get the picture.
When they get damage that allows water and fungi spores, etc. to get into the heart of the tree, over time they will fall apart. Especially if they are very old, and stressed from their environment.
Within 100 feet of my front door, we've lost 2 monsters in the last few years - one 4 foot and one 5 foot diameter at stump.
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RCW
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Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
10 or 15 years ago, I do remember talk about a "maple decline" in the east, but don't recall a specific attribution to its cause. I've been away from tree pathology for many years.I've had a guy that taps trees in our end of town say its a disease killing them, but I don't recall what exactly it is...He used to tap ours a good 20 years ago but they stopped producing
Sap is collected on warm days with nights below freezing. The taps collect the sap as it migrates up from the roots to crown.
If you have an 'ol fart with vascular malfunctions, and poor summer crown, it may not be moving much water up and down anymore. Some of my best trees are 18", 60 or 80 years old, with real big, wide, full crowns, and real tight bark, because they are growing vigorously.
Note for sheepfarmer - a tree should be at least 12" in diameter 4.5 feet off the ground to put 1 tap in it. 18" plus can have 2, 24" can have 3, but never more than 3 in a tree.
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RCW thanks for the input, most of our old trees are at least 24" up to 3 to 4'. They could definitally be as old as 200 years by comparing them to what you stated. Road salt was always a theory of ours but we haven't lost any road side compared to trees that are nowhere near any roads... Plus the trees that have died are a good 30' above grade from the road so salt leaching into the water table is about impossible. They must be getting too old but they sure look nice with their fall foliage!
The giant maple that had to come down was "spalted" and we saved some of tne wood. It has been made into a really lovely small table. If I understand correctly the black spalting comes from the fungus growth between some of layers. Some of the non spalted part became cutting boards or trivets, and a lot remains stickered out in the barn waiting for a project. Along with some of the ash, an oak, and a black walnut. Just couldn't turn all of it into firewood.
Yup theres a bunch like that in the garage too I took down for fire wood, and it broke my heart to burn that big old white oak. I forget what I paid to have it sliced up but I know I could never but wood like that