My front yard tree (a maple I believe) has had a difficult past few years. It's about 20-25 years old, and when I moved in, was in great shape, giving nice shade and privacy from the street.

The past few winters have been warm, and have resulted in way too many moths and other pests surviving the season. Last year they had eaten practically all the leaves on the tree before spring was over, and this year, fearing the worst, we had the tree sprayed to help give it some protection.

Despite the spraying, the leaf cover is still somewhat gnawed upon, and nowhere near as robust and full as it should be. The center-top area has died completely. My neighbor's tree is the same type, and having the same problems, while the rest of the trees on our street are reddish (not green leaved) and look great.

I plan to have a company come out to remove the dead branches in the center, and do a little pruning away from the power lines. Are there any other recommendations that you can give me that I can put into the instructions, to help bolster the trees health? Fertilizers, particular practices, mulch, etc?

The tree and I are on good terms. I don't want to have to remove it, and start from scratch.