CELEBRATING 26 YEARS! ASKI Welcome to My weekly series! THE LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc. for the last 26 years. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects. Hi Linda, I live in East Tennessee and have a Japanese Maple that is over 20 years old. It seems to be rotting at the notches just above the trunk and the bark is splitting. Is this a disease and do you recommend any fungicide? Dear Don, Sorry, but your Japanese Maple is not savable. The wounds on the tree are massive and are allowing water and insects into the tree stems to rot and infect the interior of the tree. The base of the tree is also collecting water and rotting the tree. I suggest you remove this one completely (roots too!). If you plant another one, plant it at least 12' further from the house so the tree has enough room to grow to its full width. Japanese Maples have shallow roots, so be careful with mulch around the base of the tree. Only 2-3" is needed to keep the roots cool and moist. Do not allow the mulch to touch the trunk of the tree, because it will rot the trunk. Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO: info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie, Sprigs & Twigs Inc, PO Box 245, Gales Ferry, CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR! best CELEBRATING 26 YEARS ! ASKI Welcome to My weekly series ! THE LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL Linda K. Lillie of Sprigs & Twigs Linda K. Lillie has been President of Sprigs & Twigs , Inc. for the last 26 years . She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany , an accredited NOFA Organic Land Care Professional , a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her design and installation projects . Hi Linda , I live in East Tennessee and have a Japanese Maple that is over 20 years old . It seems to be rotting at the notches just above the trunk and the bark is splitting . Is this a disease and do you recommend any fungicide ? Dear Don , Sorry , but your Japanese Maple is not savable . The wounds on the tree are massive and are allowing water and insects into the tree stems to rot and infect the interior of the tree . The base of the tree is also collecting water and rotting the tree . I suggest you remove this one completely ( roots too ! ) . If you plant another one , plant it at least 12 ' further from the house so the tree has enough room to grow to its full width . Japanese Maples have shallow roots , so be careful with mulch around the base of the tree . Only 2-3 " is needed to keep the roots cool and moist . Do not allow the mulch to touch the trunk of the tree , because it will rot the trunk . Sprigs & Twigs EMAIL OR MAIL YOUR QUESTIONS TO : info@sprigsandtwigs.net or Linda Lillie , Sprigs & Twigs Inc , PO Box 245 , Gales Ferry , CT 06335 SPRICS & TWIGS VOTED THE BEST BY DAY READERS EVERY YEAR ! best