Damage to Red Maple

My condo has planted several red maple trees, these were planted about 5 years ago, some are doing great but there are two that you can see that have been eaten or damaged by whipper snippers at the base. These two leaf every year,look healthy but have never grown taller, they look dwarfed. Is there anyway of boosting them,or shocking them into growth.? Would fertilizer spikes help?There has been some discussion about cutting them down. I hate to do this if there is some hope they can be saved. Thanks Laure

Doug says that depending on the extent of the damage (no picture uploaded) the trees will either continue to struggle along or simply die if you have a tough winter. Whipper-snipper disease is a tough one to fix (even on mature trees) when you let unskilled people loose with a machine.

Yes, you could try to compost heavily and water thoroughly all summer and I might try this this year, see what changes in growth happen next spring (2010). If you get good growth in 2010, then you're fine, if not - I'd cut them down and start again (keeping the whipper snippers out of action).

Tree stakes often contain higher levels of nitrogen than compost does. You "could" try this if you're of a mind but you won't see much growth this spring/summer from any feeding this year. Last year's feeding determines initial growth rates in the spring. That's why I said you'd have to feed this year and see what happens next year.

Good luck with them.