What was once a beautiful jap maple has been seemingly on the decline for the last two years after the landlord covered the grass with ground fabric and rubber mulch. The tree is located at the south east of the house, so it naturally receives quite a bit of sun. Are my suspicions correct, that the roots have been fried? Is there any chance at this point for correction?
Last pic is cat tax from when the tree was healthy
Edit, it has only been a year since the rubber was added.
by Legal-Alternative744
3 Comments
That rubber trash needs to be in a landfill
Sry yeah, but get your kid tested for lead/heavy metals exposure, your landlord could use a swift kick in the court for choosing highly carcinogenic substances for the playgound. Shredded tire mulch is aidsXcovid
The weed cloth is probably doing more damage than anything. Tends to trap moisture by the roots and encourage rot. Japanese maples are susceptible to various root rot diseases. You could secretly pull the weed cloth back to the edge of the canopy and but the rubber mulch back. Late development of leaves, deformed leaves or areas of dieback in the crown are all symptoms of root diseases. It does appear to still be alive though. Hard to say how bad it is without the full bloom.