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Maple, cracks in the bark and trunk

Hello,
I planted an emerald queen maple three years ago. In the last year, it has started to have cracks in the bark, and in some places some small perfectly round holes (no doubt some “guests”).
The maple is planted in a lawn, so once every 4 days it is sprayed on the trunk by sprinklers to a height of 1.8 m; I mention this because above this height I have not noticed any damage.
I have noticed ants going in and out of the cracks (not sure if they are “residents” or just passing through). Near the round holes I saw some strange flies, marked in the pictures.
Also some moss has appeared on the trunk (probably from the irrigation water), and the top of the tree is starting to dry out, either because fall is coming, or because it is starting to be affected by the problems it has.
Eventually I opened 2 cracks with a cutter (I also put a finger in the picture to highlight the size). The first crack is deep and goes all the way to the center of the trunk, the second one is shallow or incipient and doesn’t seem to affect the maple. On the two open cracks I applied some bordeaux mixture and then tree plaster (but I don’t know how well I cleaned the necrotic parts).
Can you figure out what the problem is and recommend a treatment, please?

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#192720

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Hello. The round holes in the trunk usually indicate the attack of pests (most likely a species of borers). It is recommended to pull the larvae out with a flexible steel wire, in the top of which a small loop is made, and disinfect the area with a copper-containing solution, such as Bouillie Bordelaise WDG, 50 g. One sachet of Bordeaux mixture is dissolved in a small amount of water (0.5 litres) to form a paste. The copper has a bactericidal and fungicidal effect and helps to heal wounds quickly. Afterwards, once the blue solution has dried, you can also apply a mastic for healing (Tree plaster, 300 g or Bio Plantella Arbosan, 350 g). Regarding the adult insects, during their flight period (identified by placing pheromone traps), you can treat with insecticides that have in their spectrum of control Lepidoptera as well. More information is presented in the following articles: The goat moth (Cossus cossus) - pest management and The leopard moth (Zeuzera pyrina) - pest management.
As for the cracks, they can be caused by frost, hail, high humidity in the bark, sunburn, temperature and humidity fluctuations, excessive wind on the disproportionately sized tree (slender trunk), insect attack or the spread of diseases. For an accurate identification, you may consider a laboratory analysis. The measures already taken (cleaning up to the green tissue, disinfection with Bouillie Bordelaise WDG, 50 g, sealing with Tree plaster, 300 g) aim to prevent the spread of the potential phytopathogens and stop the evolution of the deterioration. For the time being, no other measures are recommended.
On the other hand, in order to increase the resistance of the maple to unfavorable conditions (especially frost, freezing and drought), it is recommended to use a fertilizer with a high potassium content, such as Fertilizer 0-0-40 Azet HerbstKali, 2 kg, by spreading it around the tree, as recommended in the product description. This fertilizer has the effect of improving the water balance of trees and can be applied to a wide range of plants (including lawns) as recommended in the product description.
It is known that the presence of turf or certain materials (foil, gravel, decorative bark) can have the effect of retaining moisture in the soil, respectively blocking the breathing processes of the root system and favoring the installation of plant pathogens. It is recommended to loosen the soil around the maple tree, i.e. to keep a portion of the soil permanently tilled and free of various materials. As the activity and spread of plant pathogens is stimulated by the high and constant humidity of the soil, watering is recommended to be carried out according to the recorded temperatures and rainfall only when the soil is dry on the surface. Watering the trees, sprinkling them or watering them together with the lawn is contraindicated, as the humidity at the level of the foliage and the constant humidity at their base represent a favorable environment for the installation and propagation of fungal diseases. It is recommended to remove the damaged leaves, and during autumn it is advisable to collect and destroy all fallen leaves. If you wish, taking into account the height of the tree and the condition of its top, you can consider the removal of the entire damaged portion (the top with browned leaves). It is recommended to carry out this operation with well sharpened and disinfected tools (e.g. Power Pruner).
Given the current appearance of the maple and the above mentioned, it is not possible to specify exactly how it will evolve in the future.

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The goat moth (Cossus cossus) - pest management

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#192726

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Thanks for the detailed answer. Sprinklers run once per week (more abundantly in summer – 15l/sqm, and in autumn 7-8l/sqm, specifically to allow the soil to dry out. At the base of the stem there is no lawn, it has a circle of loose soil around it with a radius of 30 cm, I’ll make sure it’s aerated more often.
I think the wind exposure factor is also valid, the tree is an area where the wind is very strong.
I’ll cut off the top as per your recommendation, open up the cracks and round holes to see what insects I can find (I’ve removed 3 more borers this year from other trees, taken from the same nursery 🙁 ). I’ll apply the recommended paste, tree plaster and fertilizer.
Thank you very much!

#192729

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I opened the holes and found at least two more of the same borers.
Furthermore I found immediately under the bark (in the darker areas) some smaller larvae, probably also beetles -> attached picture
Do I remove everything I find + I apply the treatments recommended above?
Thanks

Attachments:

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   maple-cracks-in-the-bark-and-trunk-6-192731.jpeg
   

#192731

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If a very high number of pests is observed, it is recommended to remove the tree and destroy it by burning in order to eliminate the specimens in the wood and to prevent the pests from multiplying in spring. If they are found in small numbers, you can remove the pests manually and follow the advice above. The future development of the maple cannot be accurately predicted, as by removing the bark the cambium is removed/killed and the future growth and development of the tree may be affected.

#192734

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Thanks so much for the info! I manually removed everything I saw. The next time I notice a problem, I will remove the tree + burn it.

#192736

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