Get ready for several opinions from the troops here! My vote on tree #1 is - take it out - it will have inherent weakness even if it does live and it will be a matter of time before it finally goes (maybe onto the house or garage).
The second tree does look like a sugar maple. Don't stake it - it will grow OK.
And the silver maple - a tree that grows fast but is weak and has a usurping root system later - give it a "one cut prune" followed by stump removal!
hortster

#1 .... it should already be cut down.. what are you waiting for ... the included bark.. the brown at the top of the scar.. was the reason it failed.. but for the storm of the decade ...

#2 ... trees do NOT need to be staked.. in fact.. get this.. they are made to blow in the wind ... once you start loving it up.. and messing with it.. problems start ..

#3 ... trim up everything to where the three main ones are left.. about the height as represented by the sandbox behind.. then shoot us another picture ... for further opinion ...

it is going to be very hard.. to get only the straight leader.. the way that crotch is set up...

do you know how to properly prune???

good luck

ken

I agree with Ken on the staking, and would even guess that the stake in picture 1 played a role in the crotch splitting. Had it not been staked, the entire trunk could have swayed in the wind, so that the stress would have been distributed along the trunk. Since it was tied, a lot of the stress was focused where the tree was wired to the stake, which happened to be close to where there was a weak spot at that crotch with included bark.

For the last one:

>it is going to be very hard.. to get only the straight >leader.. the way that crotch is set up.

I may be reaching beyond my grasp, but that looks like a good candidate for subordination pruning. If you keep heading back the two side branches, they will not increase in girth as much as the leader, and more distinct branch collars will form. That could make it easier for the tree to close the pruning wounds.

Alex

#1 remove it

#2 Looks like a sugar maple to me. It is doing its thing nice and slow. Looks healthy to me :)

#3 The pruning is really irrelevant here IMO. Whether you prune it now or later, that tree will become codominant either at your level or just out of your pruners reach ;)

Do what makes YOU happy. Personally I would replace that silver maple now while I could yank it outta the ground with something, anything else.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pruning from the Forest Service

Respectfully, folks, why are you trying to give advice on saving a SILVER MAPLE? This tree is a PITA. Have you watched them, tracked them, see what they do? Really want to hear your reply.
hortster

I am with hortster here.

In my eyes pluses would be fast shade producers and attractive bark while young. Then they get ridiculous surface roots, VERY ugly mature bark, and they drop limbs at the sound of a squirrel fart. Excuse the language. MUCH better trees out there and you don't have to look very far. If you haven't planted a tree by yourself and maybe intimidated by the process but want some good advice, all you have to do is ask :) Again, it is your yard, you pay the bills but please just look up the problems that they are capable of causing.

John

I agree with most.

1 - remove
2 - it is doing ok
3 - start pruning from the bottom up late this winter. Take off no more than 1/3 the canopy. That kind of lower growth is going to happen when the tree is planted out in full sun with limited competition. Assuming you will be mowing under it help the fella out.

Silver Maple is not the best tree ever but IMHO the mature bark is attractive and they do have good fall color. Out in my yard where they don't overhang my house they are fine. In fact, an excellent part of a fast / slow tree planting plan.

jandree22, take to heart what the others are saying. There is a good chance you will be outliving the silver maple. I recognize their uses still.

Thank you all for the advice, very much appreciated. IâÂÂve been a homeowner for only a few years now so I've still got much to learn. That and part of the problem is our property was barren of trees when we purchased it so I just threw a bunch of stuff in the ground. The silver maple that snapped was purchased because it was a fast growing shade tree and I either turned a blind eye or was ignorant to the negatives. And in hindsight, yeah that staking job was probably a big contributor to its demise... lesson learned. In any case itâÂÂs out of the ground waiting for the chipper.

Tree #3 I recognized as a maple, but never looked further into it until now... realizing itâÂÂs a silver maple. ItâÂÂs planted only about 15 ft out from the house so with the root system and weak nature, I suppose IâÂÂll yank it out now while itâÂÂs small and the ground is still mud from the storm. But thanks for the advice about pruning it, anyway.

Very glad to confirm #2 is a sugar maple and it appears to be doing well... it was taken from my grandfatherâÂÂs estate after he passed so it bears some significance to me.

IâÂÂll probably replace the snapped silver maple towards the back of the property with a red oak... unless anyone sees concerns with this tree. Thanks again!

sorry. those are supposed to be apostrophes, obviously. message previewed fine.

Red oak would be a good choice in most situations and it is native to your area so should be ok. Northern red oaks are just about my favorite oak leaf shape fwiw.

I can't shake the feeling that the second maple might be a norway maple.

Here is a link that might be useful: Comparison pic

they drop limbs at the sound of a squirrel fart.

===>> this is why i have been finding small branches in the yard.. who knew ...

i hate maples .... so i avoided that lecture.. thx to others for picking up the lead .. lol ...

NEVER.. EVER.. plant a tree because it is claimed to be fast growing.. unless you have a park or a golf course.. and NEVER.. plant it 15 feet from the house.. get rid of it ... check out the link ...

yes.. we all live in that world of a dreamy historic home sitting under a 200 year old oak .. but frankly ..... that is not reality ... plant a tree with large potential 20 to 30 feet from the house in my estimate ....

my preference is oak.. and once established and growing normally ... will grow 3 to 5 feet per year.. which is actually pretty fast .... except for the weed trees .. deep rooted.. and strong wooded ...

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link