young vine maple desiccated leaves??

Discussion in 'Maples' started by LemonTart, Jun 8, 2014.

  1. LemonTart

    LemonTart Member

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    Vancouver, Canada
    I planted a 2.5/3' tall vine maple in my backyard about 6 weeks ago. It's in full sun, which I know wouldn't be it's first choice, but I thought they could handle it here in the PNW. It has definitely not dried out - I've been hand-watering religiously due to our warm spring, and it's mulched to help keep the soil moist.

    It has two main stems, both of which come out of the soil (not one branched off the other). I just noticed that all of the leaves on one of the stems, every single leaf, has turned completely crispy dry. They didn't wilt at all, and they turn dry/brown around the edges first. The leaves have kept their shape perfectly. The colour has faded somewhat, but there's absolutely no browning, not even a little around the edges. They are just totally desiccated. It's so strange.

    Does anyone know what this is? Is the tree a goner? Right now the other stem still seems okay, although the leaves have turned red where the face the sun (which had happened on the dead stem too, and on the two other vine maples I planted at the same time, both of which also seem fine).
     
  2. DennisC

    DennisC New Member

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    No. Arizona USA
    I had the same thing happen last year to a Bloodgood Japanese maple. Though I flooded it regularly, the post-mortem showed the roots at the center to be bone dry. It turned out that the root ball was too dense, and the water was going around it rather than through it.

    It's gamble, but if I were you, I'd "reboot"...get the tree out of the ground and back into a suitable container in a shaded spot where you can accurately monitor moisture in the roots until it hopefully recovers and re-buds where the leaves are dead. At least you may save the still growing trunk. Then replant it in the fall so it can establish new roots in the cool season.
     
  3. LemonTart

    LemonTart Member

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    Thanks for your thoughts, DennisC. I now believe I was overwatering. Have a stem starting to die back on a second of the three I planted at the same time, while the third is showing new growth & seems fine. I stopped the overwatering a few days ago, so we'll see.
     
  4. LemonTart

    LemonTart Member

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    Thanks for your thoughts, DennisC. I now believe I was overwatering. Have a stem starting to die back on a second of the three I planted at the same time, while the third is showing new growth & seems fine. I stopped the overwatering a few days ago, so we'll see.
     

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