Questions about leaf scorch

Discussion in 'Maples' started by Blinky1, Jul 17, 2014.

  1. Blinky1

    Blinky1 New Member

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    First time posting, but been visiting for awhile to read up and learn about various Japanese maples ever since I became addicted to JM collecting.

    Among the twenty-or-so species of maples that I have, I find my Olsen's Frosted Strawberry withstands the intense sun quite well, whereas some some of my other maples are either completely scorched or heat-stressed. All my maples are in containers and receive various level of sun (3-4hr) and shade so I supposed that could be a factor.

    The ones that hold up well against and sun and heat includes:
    Olsen's Frosted Strawberry
    Mikawa Yatsubusa
    Akita Yatsubusa
    Toyama Nishiki
    Pixie
    Shishio Hime
    Crimson Queen
    Waterfall

    The ones that are completely scorched includes:
    Babylace
    A.S. Aureum
    Koto-no-ito

    The ones that are showing signs of stress
    Shindesjo

    The sun is not very intense here in Vancouver, except in the last few days where temperature has the 30s deg. Celius. That's high for Vancouver.

    I am pretty sure my Babylace is gone, but not sure about the Kito-no-ito and Aureum. Is there a way I can tell difinitively if a JM is still alive after all the leaves are scorched? Also, once a tree shows sign of leave scorch, can it be stopped or reversed or it is likely to continue and get worst?

    Thanks
     
  2. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Hi Blinky, welcome to the forum. I moved your question to its own thread, might get a better response that way.

    You can tell if the maples are still alive by seeing if the twigs are still flexible and (a more invasive method) scratching the top layer of bark from a twig to see if there is a layer of green cambium beneath.

    The trees should be able to handle 3-4 hours of sun in your climate so it looks like something else is an issue. My first reaction, without knowing the details, would be to look at the potting mix in the containers affected. If the potting mix has become too dense it will not be free draining enough and the roots will be dying off through lack of oxygen, and the leaves will be suffering as a consequence. If this is the case and you catch it early enough you can save the tree by changing the potting mix to something more free draining.

    If you post some pictures it might give us some more info to go on. Other info that might be useful include how often you water, container size, how long since last repotting, type of potting mix and anything else you think might be relevant.
     
  3. Blinky1

    Blinky1 New Member

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    Hi maf, thank you for your response. The branches on the Babylace snap right off and appeared to be completely dried. Sadly, I think it is dead. I think the A.S. Aureum and Koto-no-ito might still have a chance? The first two photos are that of Koto-no-ito and the last two are A.S. Aureum.
    All my maples are in containers. Some have been repotted, while others still in the pots they were purchased in. The Aureum and Koto-it-no are still in their nursery #2 pots. Since this post, I have transferred them into bigger 5gal pots. Besides repotting, I am not sure what else I can do to help these two maples. The Aureum is in a shady spot even before the leaf scorch whereas the Koto-it-no is in a spot where it receives 3-4hr of summer sun.

    Thanks
     

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  4. Blinky1

    Blinky1 New Member

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    Photos of my Koto-no-it and Aureum with the leaf scorch.
     

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  5. Blinky1

    Blinky1 New Member

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    Not sure how attach multiple photos in one post.
     

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  6. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    They look alive to me; I see healthy buds and nice green twigs. You did the right thing by repotting them.

    It looks as if the soil either got too dry or too wet for a while, the results would be pretty much the same either way. It is possible it could be something more serious, but the most likely answer is that it is something related to the watering and drainage cycle. Keep your eye on them and maybe move the Koto-no-ito to a bit more shade if you have not done so already. If they are still healthy they will most likely releaf (maybe partially, maybe fully) this season, not a lot else you can do except wait.
     
  7. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    1/ How to attach several photos:

    Scroll down the page when you write a reply. There's a button "Manage attachments". Click on it. A pop-up will appear.

    On the screen capture I'm attaching, it's in French (beecoz my ordinateur speaks French!), "Parcourir..." I think must be sthg like "Browse...". Select the file(s) you want to upload and click on "upload" (my computer knows a bit of Franglish too).

    You can then upload other photos. Try it and you'll see that it's not limited to 3 uploads.

    There is no "place inline button" like in other forum softwares (phpBB for instance), so all the pictures will appear at the end of your message as thumbnails, but apart from this small detail, this is the best of the many forums I've subscribed too. Not to mention the content, of course. So I take this opportunity to congratulate and thank again the administators and moderators of the UBC forums.

    2/ How to put photos so that users with Cervical Osteoarthritis (Neck Arthritis) can see them without being blocked:

    IrfanView, XnView, etc. There are many free, and easy to use softwares to edit photos.
     

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  8. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Alain, it is also possible to place photos anywhere in the message, like this:
    Acer palmatum ssp. matsumurae.jpe
    Just upload the pictures and use the paperclip icon to manage attachments and place them anywhere in the message you want. (Of course they will not be full size.)
     
  9. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    Oh, OK, nifty ;-)
     
  10. Blinky1

    Blinky1 New Member

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    Thanks AlainK.

    Hi maf, just wondering what is going to happen to my Acer S. Aureum and Koto-no-ito come this Fall since both have loss all their leaves to leaf scorch? I supposed they will have nothing to show? That's ok. I rather see them survive because there will be another season to look forward to. Thanks.
     
  11. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    It is still possible they may partially releaf before fall. I would be a little worried if you did not see any more new leaves this year. Keep a watch out for dead branches and remove them.
     

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