What's causing this leaf wilt?

Discussion in 'Maples' started by DennisC, Nov 19, 2013.

  1. DennisC

    DennisC New Member

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    I planted this Bloodgood two weeks ago. It has a 2 inch trunk and is about 8ft x 6ft. It had a few wilted leaves at the nursery that I removed last saturday; they actually dropped with little resistance when touched. The leaves pictured have wilted since then; first they curl, then go crisp before losing color.

    At planting, I loosened the roots somewhat because the tree was marginally rootbound when I removed the container. The soil has remained pretty wet since planting due to rain, but not sopping. Temps have been mild; no frost yet. Am I being premature in my concern?
     

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  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Since time of year is right for bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas) infestation you should check for that. Although I don't remember if it is usual for the wilting to appear at the same time as infestation in fall, or if it typically does not manifest until the following growing season. But maybe since there was some leaf damage earlier this is a continuation of wilting dating back to an earlier infestation.

    A former frequent poster here asserted there was a problem with sloppy propagation practices at some production facilities resulting in previously infested grafted Japanese maples being sent out, that looked okay at time of purchase - only to blight off and die away after installation in the final planting site. The explanation given for the delayed revelation of infestation was that the plants had "internal" infections dating back to the time of grafting.
     
  3. DennisC

    DennisC New Member

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    Is there a test other than symptoms that's practical for an individual tree?
     

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