The practice of applying tar or cement to trees was debunked in the last generation.

I strongly advise that you search for an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified arborist to make an inspection of your tree. A truly knowledgeable professional can evaluate the tree and give you an honest opinion about its future.

Though mesquites can live for hundreds of years, they respond just like other trees do to physical damage, soil compaction, insect infestations, and human malpractice.

Thank you, I live in Mexico and the experts are not so expert. Should I remove the cement and tar?

Here are photos I took today...can you take a look? One branch of the tree, the leaves are dying. The rest for now are green. As you can see, cement and tar in some of them. Should I take it out? The white powder is for ants that seem to be eating the leaves which is strange. Last photo is bark peeled away. The other, bark turned red. Anything you can do to help me with advice would be good. No tree experts here in Mexico, close to me. Thank you

yes, I googled all morning. Thank you

How far down are you in Mexico? You might post on the Arizona forum. They would have a climate similar to Northern Mexico. If I were you I would trust people in your general climate area. Good luck. I don't really know about removing the tar, it might do more harm than good. I know in my area it used to be used on trees (not mesquite, they don't grow here), but it is considered old school and not used anymore.

It looks like it's leaking where it was injured. It probably will take care of itself if left alone. Tar has been a no-no for many years.

Are tar based products really useful in treating tree wounds ...

As far as losing leaves, has weed killer been put down on the lawn? I see no weeds in it. That can cause leaf drop, even kill the tree.

Does anyone know if I should remove the tar and cement now based on what my photos look like?

You might do more damage than it's worth removing the tar and cement. Looks like you are in a dry part of Mexico. Maybe mold might not be such an issue as it might be in other places. In any case, I'd at least try and see how easy or hard it is to remove.

can we see the whole tree??

ken

Thank you, here the is whole tree

Has the tree ever been hit by lightning?

no, not that I am aware of, is has been healthy for l0 years that I have lived with this tree.

I would remove it at this point.

remove "what" at this point? Sorry, don't understand

Remove the tree. It is to far gone at this point to help.

Logan, leave this person alone. You cannot know anything about trees in Mexico. DO NOT CUT DOWN THE TREE !

Thank you Sherry, I was shocked when he said that, does he know about mesquite trees?

I can't tell which variety yours is (velvet, honey, screwbean, etc). It's very difficult to know what's going on just by pics, as it's normal for some varieties to have peeling bark, and ooze sap. Otoh, it can also indicate a problem, and yours clearly looks very stressed. Fungus, insects, environmental -- all can be an issue.

You said the guy did the treatment few years ago -- has the tree been declining since then? Or just this year? Why did he think he needed to treat the sap--was the tree looking stressed then? Where there any issues other than sap? Obviously, he did the wrong thing, and I'm just wondering if the tree was fine until after his "treatment".

Imo, trying to get the tar and cement off won't help at this point. I think the only thing you can do is wait and see, if you're not able to get an arborist out to look. I wish there was a definite answer for you, but I think there are several issues going on .... and no way to know what started it, or if they're even related to each other.

Good luck, sure hope yours pulls through. They're tough trees. :)

(I'm in Tx, have had Mesquites my entire life.)

NO! He is from North Carolina and likes to spout stuff counter to what anyone else says. I could not find the post that this post refers to, but you can see this person had a lot of trouble with his tree and it came back. http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1741339/misquete-tree?n=5

Please, don't panic and read articles from sources in the areas where mesquite trees grow.

Thank you, I contacted a tree master in Arizona, he says to use Bayer Advanced Tree and Scrub once a year for 3 years. He says, don't bother to remove the tar. I have to order from the states but going to try this because after looking at his entire website, I believe he is a master, Warner's Tree Surgery. He was so kind and spoke to me on the phone after looking at photos, then refused to let me pay him. The world is still a great place to find people like this.

Miz_G, would it help to water the tree? Not at the trunk, but out to the drip line of the canopy? A gentle, slow, deep watering.

Sherry, yes, if it hasn't had any irrigation recently. It certainly wouldn't hurt -- if it's one of the common varieties. Many people mistakenly believe that all types of Mesquites don't need water, since they grow in arid environments. And while it's true they can survive on little water, some varieties appreciate it (proper amounts, not overwatering), especially in severe droughts. Mine is in the lowest spot of my yard, where all water run-off goes. It thrives. And some varieties of Mesquite naturally grow along creeks, streams, etc. Other varieties can have crown/trunk issues with excessive irrigation.

My rambling way of saying "it depends". :D

The guy that did a remote diagnosis (over the phone) may have been pleasant but he in no way did you a good service. How on earth could he recommend a strong, systemic insecticide for a problem which has not been identified? This is malpractice, plain and simple!

bodyby...would you please provide us with a photo clearly showing the base of this tree's trunk? I'm seeing a lot of white stuff there at the base which appears to be a fungal mycellium of some type. This is not necessarily a bad thing for the tree-many , in fact most fungi are helpful to neutral to trees-but it should be looked at.

treatment for ants, well, I have received lots of advice via this forum, remote. The tree master had all the photos

I'm just not understanding the Bayer suggestion, and especially for 3 years. What does he think the issue is? I'm wondering if he's suggesting it because of the possibilty of borers/other insects taking advantage of a stressed tree? I've never used the Bayer treatment, so don't know how/if it works.

I'll ask again--were there any issues before the tar/concrete application? Was the tree healthy before that, and just leaking sap?

Here is an excellent article from the University of Arizona. It will help you identify which mesquite you have. https://cals.arizona.edu/fps/sites/cals.arizona.edu.fps/files/cotw/Mesquite.pdf

They seem to be very hardy trees. I would not want to use the chemical insecticide. It will kill the bees and animals that rely on the tree.