Maple tree dying? Can I save it?

[Southern Gardener]

My silver leaf maple is in my chicken run. The leaves budded late this year and it's usually the first tree to be in full bloom. The fruit is also falling off and it looks just terrible.

My chickens have scratched up the roots and I've covered them up several times. I plan to start my new coop next weekend in a different location. Do you think it will be to late to save my maple? At the time I didn't know how devastating chickens could be to a tree!

Thanks!

 

[Reinbeau]

I'd get it out of there if it's small enough to move, or get them out into a new run ASAP. Their droppings are intense, and the roots of the maple run along the surface, no doubt they're getting burned.

 

[Southern Gardener]

The tree is fully grown so it can't be moved. I'm going to work on moving them today. Is there anything I can put around the tree to neutralize the droppings?

 

[Rosalind]

For maples, the local arborist told me it's actually better to keep the soil very shallow, even with some large roots on the surface. I had mulched around one of my maples to keep down weeds, and he told me that was bad, that I should rake the mulch off all underneath the dripline. Apparently they are very very susceptible to getting moldy and damp rot. Better to keep any mulch, chicken litter, etc. at least 4-5 feet away from the trunk, even if that means some upper roots are exposed. If it was any other kind of tree, I'd say put down some mulch to absorb some of the droppings before they hit the dirt, but with maples, that's not good either.

Is it possible to move the chicken run? Like, underneath a sturdy, fertilizer-hungry fruit tree?

 

[Southern Gardener]

I moved the chicken run yesterday. Hopefully that will be enough to save it!

 

[wifezilla]

Can you heavily water for a bit to dilute the chicken poo?

 

[Southern Gardener]

Yes! I did that too, the ground is so hard packed and the water just runs off. The tree is still putting out leaves so hopefully it will be ok.