Q.: My Japanese maple is about 20 years old now. The trunk is divided and I have thought of securing the two trunks together with something because of the extra weight of snow and ice in the winter.

The big snow split our old weeping Japanese maple (3-feet by 4-feet wide). The trunk cracked apart vertically about 2 inches wide and way down the middle. Should we tie it loosely around the stem so ...

Once leaves drop from trees, splitting, peeling, bleached or oozing bark may become more noticeable. The cause can range from normal bark development to environmental causes or disease. If tree bark ...

Question: I have a Japanese maple in our garden, and there’s this big vertical split in the main trunk surrounded by a thin strip of brown bark. The tree looks fine, but I’m worried about its ...

Q. Two years ago we planted two types of red maple, and they had done well. Now, on one tree, the bark is falling off the trunk but the other tree doesn't have this irregularity. Any ideas as to what ...

Okay, I admit I have a personal bias against one of the most popular trees planted in the landscape these past 10 to 15 years. Nurserymen, landscapers and tree lovers have taken me to task for my ...

Mary Jo DiLonardo has worked in print, online, and broadcast journalism for 25 years and covers nature, health, science, and animals. Young trees sometimes have smooth bark that's unbroken by ridges.

Q. I need some advice on splitting bark on my pecan trees. Trunks are estimated 14-inch diameter, some are splitting 4 and 5 feet in vertical length right up the side of the tree. I can see the “tree” ...