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PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2015 5:49 pm 
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I have a 10-11 year old Lacebark Elm tree in my yard and last fall it dropped it's leaves like it normally does and shed it's bark like it normally does. Come spring and I realize that all the trees near me have their leaves except mine. I look closely and notice a few things.

1) It has spider webs in a few places ( may be normal I don't know ).
2) There are small holes every few feet that look like beetles may have bored into them ( I've seen small, maybe 2mm long, black bugs on the tree ).
3) There are also these much larger beetles that are black and yellow and have long antennae and long legs walking all over it. They are maybe half and inch long.
4) The trunk has developed cracks ( mostly near the roots ) that look black.
5) If I cut a small part off the tree it looks greenish/yellow underneath.
6) It has ZERO leaves and we are in May.

Is there anything I can do to try and save this tree or should I just cut it down and plant a new one?


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PostPosted: Tue May 12, 2015 8:52 pm 
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It sounds like your tree has died.

Where was the tree placed and how was it planted? Was it in a yard, and did it have good drainage?

Trees planted 10 years ago likely were planted too deep in the ground, and if it came out of a black plastic pot, the root were probably wrapped around inside the pot. Rootbound, too deep, and with girdling roots, it isn't surprising a tree died after struggling for years. The insects are a sign of the stress the tree was under.

A couple of decades ago a neighbor and I went together to pay for a street tree planted at the front of our lots by Fort Worth Parks. I chose a lacebark elm and it looked great for a while, then it died suddenly, like you describe. The problem in that instance was that my knuckle-headed neighbor put out chemical fertilizer, a "weed and feed" that killed the tree.

Does any of this sound like it might have happened to your tree?

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PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2015 9:39 am 
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Tree is indeed planted somewhat deep and fertilizer was used more than once. Ouch.


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PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2015 10:00 am 
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If it was the "weed and feed" sort of fertilizer, then it certainly killed the tree. Another reason for going organic! If you look at the chemical package, it says not to use it around trees and shrubs and such.

Read up on how to plant trees then try again, and if you do switch to organic methods I think you'll see the yard responds well.

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PostPosted: Wed May 13, 2015 2:07 pm 
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northwesterner wrote:
If it was the "weed and feed" sort of fertilizer, then it certainly killed the tree. Another reason for going organic! If you look at the chemical package, it says not to use it around trees and shrubs and such.

Read up on how to plant trees then try again, and if you do switch to organic methods I think you'll see the yard responds well.


Ugghh...it certainly was the weed and feed. I admit that I didn't really care too much for the instructions. I'll knock the tree down in the next few weeks then. :(

Thanks!


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