Hello Linda,

I’m sorry to see that your maple tree is having problems. Maples prefer moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. They are susceptible to many diseases and insect attacks. The loss of leaves can be due to root damage caused by girdling roots or improper planting or environmental damage. If a herbicide is sprayed on plants below the tree, depending on the chemicals involved, the herbicide can be taken up by the tree and cause the leaves to die. All of these conditions are difficult to diagnose from a picture.

Trees should be planted so that the root flare is at the level of the soil.

As a tree grows, it puts on new shoots at the branch tips and increases its girth by adding new cells under the bark in the cambium layer. Read about tree growth here: https://www.treehugger.com/hardwood-trees-and-how-they-grow-1343506

And here; https://www.arborday.org/trees/ringstreenatomy.cfm

Girdling roots could be an issue. When you restrict the growth by tying something around the circumference of the tree, you can girdle the tree by preventing new cells in the cambium layer to grow and cut off nutrients and water to the root and crown. This could lead to cracking of the bark and ultimately compromise the tree. Read about girdling here: https://extension.umd.edu/resource/girdling-roots

All of these conditions are mere suppositions because more information is needed to analyze the problem. For a definitive diagnosis submit pictures of the tree, including the crown, trunk and root flare, to the MSU Extension’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab for a diagnosis. https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/

A certified arborist will also be able to assess the tree. To find an arborist in your area go to www.treesaregood.org, the website of the International Society of Arboriculture.

Thank you for contacting Ask Extension.