I've had this tree for one year. Early spring it looked fabulous with all the new leaf buds but I'm finding that the leave are starting to wilt. At first I thought it might have been some frost damage just on the very ends but it's affecting more and more of the tree. Can anyone tell me what is happening and how to stop it! Thanks
I'm very sorry to hear that. I had a five year old Shaina not make it this Spring. In addition to offering suggestions to help remedy your problem, I would be interested to hear from others regarding whether Shaina has a reputation for being a bit fragile as compared to other Japanese maples. Also, see another recent post on the board regarding a dead Shaina.
Worthy42, I had the same question regarding the fragility of shaina, I have had 3 that have died on me, things usually don't die on me (except #@&* aureums). Two of these were 2 year olds that died within 2 weeks of getting them. They just wilted and turned black, fine one day, wilting next few days, then dead. Last year I bought a 5 year, 5 gallon shaina, and it did not leaf out this year in spring, dead as a door nail. I still have one 2 gallon that has been with me since last summer, so far so good. I am probably not going to get another Shaina, even though I saw some nice ones in a local nursery. xman
I am beginning to believe that Shaina is, in fact, somewhat fragile My own died on me after a year or so, after looking as if it was going to be grand These pics show it before and after leaf shrivel 23rd May 2004 and 3 June 2004 So a very quick demise ......
I've been told there is a problem with stock of Japanese maples being sold pre-infected with systemic Pseudomonas that manifests after the plant has been planted out for awhile. Otherwise, Japanese maples are prone to assorted blights, including verticillium wilt. The latter is said to be easily recognized by the fine brown streaking it produces beneath the bark. Otherwise, probably in most instances tissue samples need to be sent to a lab for diagnosis.
Last time I went to Belmont Nursey in Fresno I was oncisering buying a Shina. They then proceded to drill me with a bunch of questions: 1. Do you have high mineral/salt content i your tap water? (yes was the bad answer) 2. Can you ensure it only gets morning Sun? 3. Is your soil quality good? etc By the time they were done they said they could not offer ther one yer guarentee on the plant as they said it was one of ther most frgile maples next to geisha, peaches and cream, and geisha. On the other hand California's cental valley isnt very good for maples. My local nursery actually recommended purchasing an RO filter.
Let me guess, it leafed out and looked great for a week or two, then dark spots appeared on the base of the trunk or mid trunk which spread up and down the trunk, while the leaves wilted and died??? If so, that's Pseudomonas, and your tree was probably cultured or grown in the Pacific Northwest, where this problem is systemic in their soils. Suggestion, buy from another source in the country where the winters are colder and you won't find Pseudomonas, trust me as someone who was burned for several years (and actually saw 1,000s of Acers from PNW quarantined and burned by a local Ag agent for Pseudomonas) before discovering the truth. SS
Shaina is a witches'-broom and all growers know that brooms are weak and umpredictable. They suddenly wilt for no evident cause. This just happened to my 4 year old Brandt's Dwarf, another broom. It was healthily growing in the ground like in previous years and suddenly wilted. All of it, at once, no dark spots, no twig blackening. I do not believe it is Verticilium, nor Pseudomonas (I do have lost 6 young grafts to Pseudomonas this Spring), I am tempted to call it 'Sudden Wilt of Witches'-Brooms', (SWWB) any better term? ;o)) I have talked to some major growers over here in Europe and they all confirm this SWWB. Some have even given up growing cultivars like Geisha, very prone to SWWB. Gomero
