Last summer (2020) several branches on our young Maple Blaze began to dry up. It looked almost like they were burnt by the sun. I took down two branches and was hopeful that the rest had little red buds on them. Now it looks like there are more branches that are sick as the red buds did not turn into little leaves in about 30-40% of the branches. You can see at the base of the tree that there is lichen or fungus. We are very worried because this sort of happened to a Pin Oak which was about 20 meters away. It had to be taken down. The maple is only 5 years old. How can I help it recover?
Hi. The lichen isn't a problem, you can dismiss it. The maple clearly went through some kind of stress. Did you have a drought last year? Did you have a polar vortex? At 5 year in the ground, it may not be fully established. The planting and mulch look good, but given the lushness of your lawn I wonder if you use a weed'n'feed. This can certainly weaken a tree if the roots get hold of it. Sorry it is difficult to come up with a less speculative answer.
Good morning and welcome to the forum, first of all I agree with everything Emery had stated. Just a couple of points, as the Oak had to be felled close by and your maple appears to be going the same way, then environmental factors should be looked at. Was there a drought last year? And did this occur in the Spring? If so then even established trees will fail to thrive. I would also consider lossening the mulch around your tree, to allow a better flow of oxygen to the roots. There are many articles about this, so if you look at the RHS Turner Oak article online , you will see what I'm talking about. The ancient oak tree that taught the world a lesson Regarding watering, if soil is compacted around the roots, even if you water, it often runs away causing the roots to be starved of oxygen. Yes watering does take oxygen to the roots. So if this were my tree, I would start by clearing any soil away from the trunk and gently loosening the soil around the area the canopy covers, then start a good watering regime, ensuring a good soaking once a week and more if an exceptionally dry period. I have started a thread called 'Give your maples a drink in March', that covers my thoughts on Spring droughts. Do have a look. Give your Maples a drink in March One last thing, when you cut the dead branches was there any sign of black circles on the white wood? My thoughts are Verticulum wilt. Probably not, but everything is worth checking. At the end of the day nothing may work, but do have a go at the simple options as a first step. They sometimes solve the problem. D
Thank you very much! There are no black circles, but I think that both of the comments about watering and weed chemicals may be the issue. I will start working on the soil and watering asap!
You may not see an instant result and it may take a whole season to start to recover, but do peservere. I'm so glad it's not Verticulum. However long it takes and whatever the result, please update the forum. My fingers are crossed for your lovely Autumn Blaze.
