We had some hard scaping and landscaping from a reputable company with a certified Landscape Architect who was definitely more of a preservationist than interventionist. We wanted to ensure that we kept this Norway Maple in good shape and that work on patio, stairs, walkway and driveway widening wouldn’t disturb too much. I know it’s maybe nothing special, but it’s a nice big tree with lots of activity for the birds and a good setting for viewing outside the windows or from the patio.
Work was about 1.5 years ago and last year a few small branches were leafless but it seemed otherwise in good shape. We hired a company to do some pruning to remove those and they delayed until the leaves fell but said it was fine to do it that way and they could still identify the dead wood.
It’s now May (we’re in NJ), and the tree seems even worse than last year. Is it too early to make a call that it’s devolving and dying a slow death? I thought the pruning would be more of a boon for its growth.
Time to worry?