dead Maple trees ??

[KIDROCK]

I have 2 Maple trees in my front yard that are bare and look dead. I would think they would have buds or leaves by now since the other Maple tree 10 feet away is full of leaves. Anyone experience anything like this ? If they don't hurry up and get going I might have to break out the chainsaw for a "tune up", think they would get the hint?

[Powerstroke]

HOw old are the maples? or how big is the trunk around?

All the maples I know of not only have their leaves but the helicopters are fully formed. A common ailment of maples in girdling roots, but you would've noticed other symptoms in the past. Have you ahd any other problems with these trees before?

[bigdog]

We had this happen with a similar spring a couple years ago. Got warm , sap start flowing, then it froze hard. the sap froze, expanded and blew the bark off the tree. The first year we had a few leaves appear late and thought it would revive, the second year all of the bark fell off.

[Powerstroke]

After rereading your post you say that the branches don't have any buds on them?

Buds are placed in the summer and fall so they are ready to open in the spring. Only thing that happens in the spring is they flower and then the leaves pop from existing buds.

If your tree doesn't have any buds than the tree was seriously ill last year and never placed new buds. That tissue is most likely dead now and unless there are SOME leaves on the tree you can consider it dead. Without the ability to photosynthesize, it has no energy.

[KIDROCK]

Thanks for all the info ! After further examination that whole sap freezing thing is what looks like happened to the one. There is 2 big cracks on the tree that weren't there previously. Both trees have buds. The one with the cracks is extremely brittle and will probably make good fire wood. The other, was the healthiest of the 3, and looks like it is full of buds, but only one branch has leaves ? ? ? this tree has a trunk of about 4 in. diameter the other 2 are about 1.5-2 inches. Thanks for all your thoughts on this. I know nothing about this stuff