Help with disease identification and treatment

Discussion in 'Maples' started by pphdam, Jul 20, 2020.

  1. pphdam

    pphdam Well-Known Member

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    Good afternoon, could anyone kindly help identify the diseases in my acers and suggest the best course of treatment.

    I have an acer which has root rot problem as you can see from the photo 1, I have given it the first treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide yesterday but I am not sure if HP is the best course of treatment, the acer is a red palmatum and over 20 years old so it would be really sad if I loose it.

    Also my other acers have lots of marks and while spots in the branches and trunk, see photo 2 and 3, what are they and how to treat them? The acer in photos is a young Orangeola.

    Many thanks.

    P
     

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  2. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @pphdam, good evening P, I'm afraid in your first photo the tree was buried too deep and IMO it also had girdling roots. The top left of the photo is the root choking the tree to death.
    You need to remove every bit of soil etc away from the trunk and the root needs to be removed. Looking at your maple, it may not be saved, as there is a lot of rot there, but action is needed now to give it any chance of survival. I am hoping the damage has not gone the whole way round, if it has it maybe the end for this red maple.
    Photos 2 and 3 the branches look fine to me.
    If you can post another photo of the large root and the other side it might be easier to make a better evaluation.
    Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings P.
     
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  3. pphdam

    pphdam Well-Known Member

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    Good evening D, thanks for the reply.
    The acer was a bonsai when I bought it, I kept it in the pot that came with it for first few years and then re-potted to a larger one. This explains why the root looks unusual. Should I remove the soil and the girdling roots, then rinse the root with HP water before re-pot it?

    For the photo 2, those marks look like insects attacked the branch and left with the wound all over tree, some marks are big and some are small.

    P
     

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  4. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @pphdam, Hi again P, that is some sever girdling roots. Looking at the rest of the tree, it is still producing a nice healthy leaf canopy.
    The treatment is best when the tree is dormant and IMO as it will be a severe root prune I now feel it's best to wait. Others might disagree.
    The process is as you say, remove from pot, carefully prune the girdling roots back to about 4 inches from the trunk making certain not to damage the trunk in any way. I would do a full root prune whilst you are at it. Approx a third of the root ball.
    Use HP by all means to rinse the roots, repot in good free draining compost and give the tree some support over the next two years.

    As this is so severe it may not work, but let's be positive and go through all the correct processes.

    Good luck P and do update the thread with progress and results.
     
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  5. 0soyoung

    0soyoung Rising Contributor

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    I only see one root that is clearly 'girdling', and I think it can be safely romoved now. Further refinement of the roots system, though, should wait until next spring, as @Acerholic suggests.

    I've indicated it with a dashed line. I would cut it at ground level and close to the trunk. Then remove all of it that is laying atop the major root it crosses. I may be partly fused, so you may need to dig/scrape some bits of it from the top of the root it overlays.

    SharedScreenshot.jpg
     
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  6. pphdam

    pphdam Well-Known Member

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    @Acerholic D and @Osoyoung, thank you very much for the advice. I will cut the highlighted root and do the rest when the tree is dormant as suggested.

    I will update this thread with the results of the treatment in due course.

    P
     
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  7. Acerholic

    Acerholic Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society

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    @pphdam, will watch with interest P. Good luck.
     
  8. pphdam

    pphdam Well-Known Member

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  9. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Hi @pphdam , you've had lots of good advice about the roots. Personally since the top looks OK, I'd also wait until dormancy and then address the whole root issue then.

    Re: your other photos, in #2, there are just a few little spot of scorch which have healed over. Nothing at all to worry about. In pic #3, the white on the bark is a natural feature of this kind of maple. It is more or less pronounced depending on cultivar and individual.
     
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  10. pphdam

    pphdam Well-Known Member

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    Hi @emery, thanks for the advice. Unfornately I have already cut out a section of a root on top a couple of days ago. Hope it survives.

    Regarding photo #2, do you know what may cause those spots or wounds? Is it because of the weather too hot, too dry or too much sun? They like diseases that appear all over the branches and affect several acers that are planted near each other. It is good to know that the white on the bark in photo #3 is normal as I was wondering if they were not related the wounds in photo #2.

    P
     
  11. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Hi @pphdam , you're welcome of course. You'll most likely be fine with the root.

    Multiple things can cause this sort of scorch, sun, salt, wind, micro-freezing in winter. The important thing to note is that the plant easily heals them over, and it's nothing to worry about.

    cheers, -E
     
  12. pphdam

    pphdam Well-Known Member

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    Hi @emery, many thanks.

    P
     

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