Acer tegmentosum bark color

Discussion in 'Maples' started by Treelover, Nov 5, 2007.

  1. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Hi to all,

    I am new to the forums but have received Daniel's Botany Photo of the Day for at least a year now and really enjoy that. I am glad to be a registered member now.

    I am hoping someone can help regarding my new striped maple. It is a 7 foot high, clump form of Acer tegmentosum. It was planted in my yard about a month ago. In keeping with the seasonal weather here in the Midwest, the leaves turned golden and have dropped over the last month. Nothing seemed amiss. However, I noticed the other day that the bark on the side of the tree that faces the sun has turned a honey color. The white stripes appear pale on the honey color. The side of the tree that faces the shade is the normal green with white stripes. I have noticed a couple of cankers on some branches. I am concerned about verticillium albo-atrum. Would this disease cause the symptoms I am seeing? Possibly, this new tree is simply dying. I have searched on the Web, to no avail. I would appreciate any ideas you may have on what is causing the bark color to change. Thanks so much.
    - Treelover
     
  2. Gomero

    Gomero Well-Known Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    It would be helpful if you show a pic

    I do not think the symptoms that you describe could be construed as being verticulium

    I think it is probably the sun. The effect of sun on the bark of trees is an area where I have a hard time finding research results. Some trees need winter sun for expected bark coloring (like Sango kaku) but for some others (like yours) it upsets the normal color. Now ,how much of a stress is that for the tree?, I do not know. Maybe other forum members have additional data on the subject.

    Gomero
     
  3. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Thanks, Gomero, for your reply. I am waiting for a sunny day to take some photos, which I will then post. Intuitively, I agree that it must be the sun. It would be quite unusual for a disease to affect only one side of a tree. As to whether or not the sun is a stressor in this instance, this tree gets 2-3 hours of sun at the maximum in a north-facing yard. It may be too late in the year to move it now to a completely shady spot.

    Some of my friends in the hort field tell me that the bark should remain green no matter whether it gets some sun or not. It is loaded with buds so I think I will just leave it there and see what happens over time. Thanks again.
     
  4. alex66

    alex66 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    i have Tegmentosum (White Tigrees)in my garden but is small,some maples in my garden change the bark coulor, like Capillipes that in winter is ligth red ..if you seen in maple photo gallery the maple Barbinerve in winter have the bark red!this word for only word :normal
    of course is my idea in this moment when you post pics ......
     
  5. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Hi Alex. I visited the maple photo gallery and see what you mean about the color changes in these striped maples. I am beginning to have hope that my tree is not dying nor diseased but merely changing color for certain reasons of which I am unaware right now. I will try to get the photos up as soon as we get a sunny day here so we can shed more light on this! Thanks so much.
     
  6. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Sec. Macrantha (stripebark) maples understorey trees often preferring cool, moist locations. A. tegmentosum among those expected to want such a situation.
     
  7. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Hello, Ron. I knew it was an understory tree but was unaware it needed to be in moist soil. I plan to increase the water and see how it does. Thanks for your advice.
     
  8. Dale B.

    Dale B. Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Hi Treelover,

    Your tree may have sunburned. Most of the time we have no idea how our tree was grown in relation to the sun and many of the trees were grown close together and have had little direct sun on the trunks. You take a tree that was grown in a grove and plant it out where sun can shine on the trunk and it can sunburn. Wrap the trunk with cloth or paper for the first year or so until the tree develops it's own shade.

    Dale
     
  9. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Hi Dale,

    As this tree was in an open, holding area for some months before I purchased it, i would think it would've gotten quite a bit of sun and would have sunburned if it was going to. Yours is a good suggestion, though, and I will consider it. I am also thinking about moving it to an area where it won't get any sun at all. I had hoped to use this tree for an additional purpose (besides giving beauty) and that was to block my neighbor's awful mulberries. Oh, well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Today, the exposed side looks evenly browner than it was a week ago and the shaded side still looks green. So strange - and disappointing. I really appreciate your input on this and am mulling over my options.
    - Treelover
     
  10. richardbeasley@comcast.net

    richardbeasley@comcast.net Active Member Maple Society

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    I have nothing to add other then a note about cankers. This condition exposes the tree to fungal attack at least here in the hot *** humid as heck south. Trees showing signs of stress such as canker may do well with an annual foliar spraying of a mild fungicide such as Phyton 27 at a rate of 6 ml per liter of water. There is no point in it now nor would it have saved any leaves, which were no doubt lost because it was not hardened off to meet the conditions at your site namely the extra strong radiation or magnetic radiation or solar radiation. It may take a year or two for the tree to develop the pigments needed to reflect the suns radiation before the leaves suffer damaged to the point yuck.

    On the other hand I could be totally wrong.

    I preach this one all the time, use humic acids to safeguard your investments, this is the only thing I cannot be wrong about, everything else I say should always be considered suspect as I am not an expert in tegmentosumville.
     
  11. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Thanks for your reply, Richard. It seemed to me that the leaves were dying and falling in a normal fashion. The only thing that seemed strange was the change in bark color on the sunny side of the tree. I will look into a fungicide in the Spring for the cankers. I can't remember noticing any cankers when I bought the tree but maybe they were there beforehand. In the planting hole, I added Black Forest Soil Conditioner which is composted pine needles. I also added a little packet of IMycor Tree Saver which are living, beneficial microorganisms. Seeing as this tree is loaded with buds, I have hope. I also work in a garden center and one of my co-workers is rather an expert in plant diseases. She will come and take a look, too.

    Don't worry about whether your advice is correct or not. I am not a pro and am glad for any input. I will post in the Spring and let everyone know how it all turned out. Thanks again.
    - Treelover
     
  12. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Don't incorporate organic amendments into small (individual) planting holes, they don't help and may actually hinder - by adversely affecting water movement.
     
  13. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Hi Ron,

    Thanks for your advice. However, my soil is very sandy and I mean INSTANT drainage. I have found that the addition of the composted pine needles gives my soil a little time before the water drains down. I only use half compost and half of my backfill in any new planting hole. I have used this product in other beds and have noticed improvements in the health of my plants. Before this product, nothing seemed to thrive or last very long - maybe two years before a noticeable decline in the plants. Now they are holding their own. I don't fertilize because I have dogs that have a free run of the yard. However, I am looking into some organics. Do you have any ideas on a good organic fertilizer that won't poison my dogs?
    Thanks
     
  14. richardbeasley@comcast.net

    richardbeasley@comcast.net Active Member Maple Society

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    Espoma Plant Tone : http://www.espoma.com/content.aspx?type=p&intCategoryID=4&id=24

    Espoma has a Tree Tone but Plant Tone is more complete and I think it is a better product for maples.
     
  15. alex66

    alex66 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    the better natural for me is mature cow or hourse fertilize ,ok for domestic animals,not for persons!!!...
     
  16. richardbeasley@comcast.net

    richardbeasley@comcast.net Active Member Maple Society

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  17. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Try mulching instead of amending. Any product functioning as a nutrient source, whether organic or not needs to be matched to the nutrient situation of the soil on each site for the fertilizing operation to be successful. Beware in particular of applying too much phosphorus. This situation may not be likely to develop on a poor sandy soil treated with mild organic fertilizers but once the phosphorus in a soil starts to become excessive toxicities develop; removal and replacement of soil then required as phosphorus leaches very slowly.
     
  18. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Thanks for your advice, Ron. I understand the principle behind your statement regarding the addition of nutrient sources. I can say I am even a believer in the idea that plants should be able to "grow where they are planted". Mulching has always been my practice and, as I do not fertilize as a rule, if I decide to bring in any organics for assistance, I will be prudent in my choice and application. Thanks especially for the advice regarding phosphorus toxicities. Removal and replacement of soil would not be something I'd want to undertake.
     
  19. richardbeasley@comcast.net

    richardbeasley@comcast.net Active Member Maple Society

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    Well Tree Lover it seems we have made you one of our own, how many aces can you set aside for growing rare and totally awesome Maples? Send us your plot map local topographies and water table info with seasonal variances noted, so we design your new gardens and send the maples. Oh for the free maples you need to join the society and make a small donation to UBC, well just join the society that is a good fist step then we will know where to send the trees.
     
  20. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Richard, I am honored to join the society, but are you kidding about sending in my information and the rest? I will have to look into how to gather that information if you are being sincere. It sounds too good to be true. You wouldn't kid a girl would you? As it is late here, I will look forward to your reply tomorrow.
    - Treelover
     
  21. richardbeasley@comcast.net

    richardbeasley@comcast.net Active Member Maple Society

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    You know I was kidding to a degree put I don't see any reasons against it. We have a wealth of knowledge to share here. The miniscule or minuscule cost of the trees would not be a a limiting factor. However knowing the water quality and quantity is very important, plus the cost of bringing that water to the suffice this could be our single limiting factor. Do you know the depth of your water table?
     
  22. alex66

    alex66 Rising Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    acer Tegmentosum have your origin in Siberia (Russia) Siberia soil is different to Chicago soil or Chicago sun ,wind etc.A little corrections of soil ,for plant not native of your country, is one small help for stess after planting in hole,and again if you plant trees for fruits ,and not use fertilize, you don't received good fruits,so the fruits tree why is different to acer Tegmentosun?
    with kind regards alessandro
     
  23. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Dear Richard,

    I am grateful for the offer of the sharing of knowledge from all of you and that is more than enough. The offer of trees would be wonderful if it is possible and I would love to have something unusual that would grow here in Zone 5b, sandy soil, partly sunny. However, I must tell you that I am in an urban situation and have a city backyard. I have an existing mature Gleditsia (with thorns) on one side of the yard and a very young Acer palmatum dissectum "Seiryu" on the other side. There is a mature Norway Maple in my neighbor's yard but towards the front of the property. So, you see, there is not a lot of room. I would be glad to have another small maple of some kind that would be under 15 wide but that's hard to find. In any event, I would be glad for a small maple if that can be done between us.

    I began research online as to how I determine the depth of my water table. There is a city agency which I will have to contact and I will let you know as soon as I find out. I don't know about bringing water up to the surface because, if you dig three feet down, there is solid sand. I do not mind extra watering if I need to. As far as topography, my yard is flat!

    I appreciate your generosity and friendship and will let you know about the water table.
    - Treelover
     
  24. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Hi Alex,

    Thanks for your response. Yes, choosing and planting trees that are not native is always a challenge but can be a rewarding one if you do it right. I am hoping that, through this forum, I will be introduced to other maples that one does not ordinarily see in Chicago. In the garden center where I work, our customers like the unusual and our tree and shrub department is known for its beautiful specimen trees. Before I chose my next maple, I will consult with all of you to determine what has the best chance of survival here without too much amending of the soil.
    - Treelover
     
  25. Treelover

    Treelover Active Member

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    Richard - one more thing. I want to join the Maple Society and I visited the website.
    I suppose all I have to do is print out the form and mail it in with my fee. Is that it? - Treelover
     

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