Hello, I am a new member and I have a problem with my young Red Maple Tree. We planted the tree in May of 2009. That Autumn the tree showed a beautiful red color but as the years went by it was losing the red color. Now I see the leaves are dying. A friend of mine said it may have wilt disease. Posting photos and hope someone can tell me what to do. Please help.
To me, this looks like typical chlorosis: the tree is unable to absorb the right amount of minerals it needs from the soil, esp. iron (Fe) or manganese (Mg). The lack of these elements might vary according to the soil. The reason might be a too compact soil which prevents the roots from taking all the nutrients the tree needs, or on the contrary a soil which is too damp causing some roots to rot, or a too basic pH, etc. Chlorosis is usually more present on new leaves, the ones at the end of branches, which seems to be the case here. When the leaves become yellow, they're weaker and are more prone to show signs of fungal diseases that would otherwise be benign. The best tratment is using a special "anti-chlorosis" fertilizer that contains chelated iron and other minerals like Mg. Some can be used both for watering or as a spray. I can also see that you have a very well-tended lawn (I'm always admirative, I never show mine!). If that is not already the case, leaving a circle free of grass around the base of the tree and using a kind of mulch would allow the roots to "breathe" better, that could help too.
+1, looks like chlorosis and sunburn, a common combination. Try deep watering with Sequestrene, or apply a few packets of Epsom Salts around the cleared area -- to give the tree its best shot, clear a circle from the trunk at least a couple of feet -- and let the rain work it in.
Just back from the garden where I took some photos of an Acer elegantulum. A different species, but the same symptoms: I repotted it some time in June, or even July, I can't remember exactly, but very late in the season because it was showing signs of sun-stress and chlorosis. After repotting it in a bigger container, I watered it with Sequestrene twice at 2 wekks interval. It pushed new shoots, even where there was no branch on the trunk, just dormant buds, and some of them are nearly 50 cm long, and very healthy. You can see the difference between the old leaves that stayed on the tree and the new ones. BTW, it's from seeds I planted in the spring 2013 and this one is already over 1,50 metres tall, I've rarely seen a maple grow that fast, at least in a pot...
Hi! So sorry for the delay. [out of town guests] Thanks for your response. Now I can do some shopping for the fertilizer you suggested. I will post again when I see some improvement on my beautiful red maple tree. Thanks again.
