Hello there I am a rookie tree collecter last year I bought this tree labeled Tsuma Beni in early summer and has been doing fine. We had a very hot summer and it's leaves burned pretty bad before I moved it to a better location. This spring it bloomed almost 3 or 4 weeks after my other trees but I've never owned it thru a spring so iwasnt sure if that wsd normal. Well it's doing fine growing like a weed but it didn't have the spring color I was hoping for. Anyways about 4 days ago I noticed a black spot on the trunk and now it's getting bigger faster. So my question is what is it and is there anything I can do and if it's doomed can I at least try to take an air layer off it before it's doom
Your tree has pseudomonas - most healthy trees can fight off the infection, but a stressed tree (like yours was last summer) is much more susceptible and less capable of fending it off. It usually rears it's ugly head in spring when the tree is leafing out (this expends a lot of energy and is stressful for the tree). Even worse, the infection is in the base of the tree, and quite bad. Look at the recent thread regarding Bihou; JT and emery explain what pseudomonas is very well. *If* you are able to stop the spread of the infection, you may be able to save your tree. Unfortunately, your only hope to *try* and save the tree is by using a copper-based anti-fungal/bacterial. It's hard to tell from the picture, but if the black isn't all the way around the trunk yet, cutting away the surface layer ONLY of the bark and dabbing the copper solution undiluted on the exposed infection may also help. Make sure you sterilize your blade after EVERY cut so you don't risk spreading the infection. (If you've done any pruning on this tree and then moved to another tree without sterilizing your shears in between, you may have passed the infection on to more trees. I would recommend, if this is the case, spraying any and all maples with the copper spray to be on the safe side.) I was in a similar situation last spring with one of my trees (the infection was right at the graft union), but using the copper spray, exposing the infection, etc, and really babying it, I was thankfully able to save it. In addition to the copper spray, move it to a shady spot and keep it well-watered, without drowning it, but be careful to keep the blackened area as dry as possible. Good luck, you will need it!!
Thanks for the bad news Maplesandpaws. I have never worked with a cooper solution do you recommend one and is there a chance of passing on the infection to trees that are around it other then with dirty sheers? Should I isolate it?
I personally use Phyton 27; a little bottle lasts a long time, so while it seems very expensive (2oz is about $22 on eBay), it really isn't. The pseudomonas pathogen is spread through water, so backsplash/runoff onto other nearby maples when watering could potentially infect them. I would recommend keeping the visibly affected tree away from all other maples until it's certain that it's either on the mend or, hopefully not, doesn't make it.
Andrea, Are you using Phyton 27 as a spray or root drench? If spay, what amount of Phyton do you use per gallon of water and how much water would recommend for a 5 ' tall upright tree with about a 2" caliper trunk at the base? I looked at the instructions and it seems about 20 0z per 100 gallons of water works out to be about 1/5th oz per gallon and I'm not sure how to measure that. If you use it as a drench what ratio do you use? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Geezer, I use the phyton as a spray, mostly as a preventative in spring (I live in a humid climate), two treatments two weeks apart just before bud-break. I buy the 2oz bottle, as that lasts me a couple of years; to get the copper solution out, I use one of those tiny 1cc syringes (no needle) like you can get at the pharmacy for medications and draw up as much as I need, then squirt it into my spray bottle and mix well. When spraying, you want to be sure to coat the tree well, but not to the point that it's just running off, as this is a waste and can be harmful. Spray like you would your horticultural oils, or other sprays for insects, etc. You can leave it mixed in the bottle for a few months, just keep in a cool, dark place and make sure to shake very well to mix it up again prior to spraying. Working backwards, 1 oz/30cc of phyton per 5g water; 0.2 oz/6cc per 1g; 0.1 oz/3cc per 64oz; 1.5cc per 32 oz; 0.375cc per 8oz Do NOT spray in the direct sun, or on new leaves (unless absolutely necessary) as this can cause the leaves and bark to burn. If you have to apply it when temps are above 80-85, do so in the evening/shade. Don't apply it on windy day either, and if you get any on your skin, be sure to wash it off immediately.
