Dying Maple...is there any hope?

[sundeity1]

I have two red maples that I planted at about the same time approx 3 years ago. They are 30 ft apart in front of my home in western Ohio. One is doing beautiful but the other is very sick. The surface of the leaves looks fine except they are dwarfed. There is a long (2 ft) split in the bark in the trunk of the tree that is approx 1/4" wide and there seems to be evidence of sap stains around the split so I am guessing it is being eaten by something on the inside. How and can I save this tree? :(

[blondemommyof2]

maybe grubs??? eating the root... i dunno sorry

[Newt]

Hi Sundeity,
Sorry to say it sounds like slime flux or wetwood. Take a look here.

http://www.upenn.edu/paflora/plantclinic/slimeflux.htm

Newt