I have a good-sized (10" trunk 20-25' high) sugar maple next to the street in front of my house. Last year it was very thin, leaf-wise, and turned to fall color mid-August. By mid September it had dropped all its leaves, way earlier than other trees in my Zone 5 neighborhood.
This year its even thinner leaf-wise! I called the village (who maintains the trees in the parkway, the strip of grass next to the street) mid-June and they sent a guy out. He said: "Yep, you've got a problem, we're not sure what. We've scheduled a root inspection, it might be root-bound."
Well they never got to it (don't know if they will, long story), so in mid July I fertilized with Espoma Tree-Tone per instructions and have been watering regularly. No change, but I didn't expect it this year.
As of now the tree is 2/3 fall color and dropping leaves!
Could any of you give me any suggestions as to what to do or what might be wrong? It's next to a street, a driveway, and a sidewalk, maybe it's just not getting enough water? But other parkway trees are doing OK. We have clay soil, perhaps root-bound is the answer? There are no signs of insects or disease that I can see.
I plan on getting an arborist involved if today's call to the village bears no fruit, but I'd like to hear any opinions you might have.
Thanks,
Max