I think the totally horrible weather of last year is costing one of my favorite trees: a mature Okagami, 12 years in the ground here, I had it in a pot for 7 years before that and it was already a pretty large plant when I bought it. It has never shown any sign of wilt, or even much die-back. Last season, an early drought was followed by a 7 minute hail storm on 30 April. Marble sized. The tree was not the worse effected but lost maybe 30% of foliage. (We had heavy snow in march which really messed up early starters, but Okagami is not particularly anxious to leaf out early). Then it rained every day, usually a huge amount, until early August. This is not an exaggeration. There was standing water even in the best drained places. Okagami didn't thrive, but had decent foliage. Unusually there was almost no fall color in a usually florescent maple. I noticed last week almost all the twigs are blackening in patches, some have already turned the light, dead brown. It looks like a massive verticillium attack, but I thought that didn't happen in winter? Not that it has been particularly cold, and it has remained wet, although there is no water around the maple's roots. The tree has a broad vase shaped habit (sorry I have no pictures of the whole thing, just details) but it looks like the central area may be clear of the illness. Or it is just less advanced. Frankly it makes me very sad to look at it, like a beautiful old friend. Should I start hacking off limbs? The weather has been warm, spring is quite well advanced although most of the palmatums are asleep but maybe stirring. I don't want to bleed it to death either. Not sure what to do, maybe a copper treatment? Thanks, -E
hi Emery copper treatment,if is veticillium is uselees,see in FAQ verticillium and relative i not know max age for JM ,but (is one idea ),your Okagami have live finish...over 20years is a good life ,for me..with best regards alex
Alex, I don't really believe it is verticillium given the time of year. It's just that it really has the appearance. I don't think it is a good life, only 20 years. A. palmatum should live much longer. Even short lived maples like box elder should go for 50. That said I don't really know what the life span is for a healthy tree. Certainly I've seen many that are far older than 20. -E
Emery, I am sorry to hear that, specially for such a beautiful cultivar. I do not think it died of old age and, as you say, it is not the time of the year when you would notice Verticillium albo-atrum (or alboatrum) attack. From your description I would suspect your rainy summer, if the tree had most of the roots in water for significant time spans, then it probably initiated some root rot. I am not an expert but I may conceive the rot spreading during the winter and what you see now is the end result of that process. The tree being weakened by the rot, it becomes easy prey to all kind of pathogens and conditions. This is just my speculation. Otherwise, the standard advice is to prune all deceased branches to a healthy pair of buds and wish for the best. Courage Gomero
Emery We have had the same awful weather here in Northern Ireland with the water table so high that nothing could drain away ... standing water in places where there previously was none One of my Senkaki developed the same blackening of branches described by you for your Okagami. I thought it was probably verticillium or similar. The leaves which appeared were only about a quarter of the size of normal ( the tree is about 10 years old with me) I cut off all the blackened branches and I see that it is beginning to bud out this year, so I wait to see the result I agree that it is probably the 'drowning' of the roots Maybe with these changes in climatic conditions, some of us are going to have to begin a practice of planting even higher than usual, maybe even building up a surround with stones or such around each tree before planting. I seem to recall seeing tree pictures posted by either you or Gomero with this being done, and it looked attractive Worth some thought .......
