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sandi117

Japanese Maple

Sandi117
10 years ago

I have a lacy Japanese Maple in a container that has done beautifully for years, sitting under some larger trees. This year we had to cut down a dying weeping willow, nearby, that has allowed more sun to hit it in the afternoon. This summer has been much wetter and cooler then usual, but we've had a couple of weeks of very hot and dry, lately and were out of town during part of that time. How can I tell the difference between the tree being too dry combined with the extra sun in the afternoon and Verticillium Wilt?

Comments (7)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    its september..

    i dont think you can tell much of anything with tired fall leaves ...

    they will all be falling off.. soon enough... what would be the point of any treatment ...

    ken

  • Sandi117
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The rest of the leaves aren't looking that tired, actually, pretty green still. It's early here for the 'fall' effect. I have decent looking green leaves, and I have curled dried brown leaves. If it's fungus would not treating allow it to damage tender twigs and slender branches or linger and cause trouble in the spring? I don't have enough knowledge or experience to know. There are more of the brown leaves on the side of the tree where our willow, and the neighbor's trees, that were cut down, used to shade it. But there are also dead leaves on a lot of the underside of the maple's canopy and some on the more shaded side. I think it's probably too much hot sun and not enough water, but the brown leaves on the under side and some green ones on the outside have me wondering. I really don't want to loose this little beauty.

  • Sandi117
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The rest of the leaves aren't looking that tired, actually, pretty green still. It's early here for the 'fall' effect. I have decent looking green leaves, and I have curled dried brown leaves. If it's fungus would not treating allow it to damage tender twigs and slender branches or linger and cause trouble in the spring? I don't have enough knowledge or experience to know. There are more of the brown leaves on the side of the tree where our willow, and the neighbor's trees, that were cut down, used to shade it. But there are also dead leaves on a lot of the underside of the maple's canopy and some on the more shaded side. I think it's probably too much hot sun and not enough water, but the brown leaves on the under side and some green ones on the outside have me wondering. I really don't want to loose this little beauty.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    It's early here for the 'fall' effect

    ==>>>>
    talking ONLY about pots???? .. or you mean mother earth ... potted trees do weird things ...

    can you affirmatively state.. that for not one single day this summer.. that pot didnt dry out.. and damage the leaves.. of which.. you are just now seeing the damage?????

    your plant i severely stressed .. personally.. i can not jump to disease ... and i really dont know why you seem to insist ...

    i dont know how to go much further ... w/o some pix ...

    ken

  • Sandi117
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Oh, I know for sure that it has gotten too dry this summer. I know it got too dry during this last hot spell. I got used to the unusual monsoon and let down my watchfulness. But in addition to discovering, a week after we got back in town, that it was dry and I should have watered it as soon as we got home, it probably got a little dried out earlier in the summer, too. I just want to be sure it WAS getting too dry that has caused this and not a disease that needs treating. I'm not insisting on anything. But with the unusual weather, cool and raining, warm and humid, hot and dry I've seen my strawberries get a fungus for the first time........so it's a given I would wonder about the maple.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    10 years ago

    It is far less likely for a Japanese maple to become infected with verticillium wilt in a container situation than it is in the ground - it can happen but is rather unusual. It is much more likely that the maple just dried out while you were out of town. Depending on the size of the container and the weather itself, sometimes containerized plants will need watering on a daily basis.

    Just keep up with any necessary watering through the rest of the season - the tree should recover fine. As long as there is still some green healthy growth, you have not stressed the tree beyond its limit. I have seen drought stressed containerized maples lose virtually all their foliage and still come back. Not a practice to advocate but certainly recoverable :-))

  • Sandi117
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks Ken and Gardengal. I'm glad for the information. Gardengal I think it is probably getting too large for it's container, though it's in the largest we could find from Lowes. We are thinking about building a multilayered raised bed with wooden sides for that area of the yard, for the tree. When it's hot I do have to water it everyday so I know those roots are getting close in there.. I'm glad to hear it's most likely just a consequence of getting too dry. Thanks, both of you, for taking time to share your knowledge.