First post - red maple needs help

[Admiral Beez]

Hi, this is my first post. I'm glad I found this site and hope I can find some help here, and then help others with their issues.

I live in Toronto, Canada, downtown in a small lot in an area called Cabbagetown. Three years ago we planted a nice red maple. The tree has done well and grown tall and leafy, until this year. The tree started off well this spring with new leaves, but then suddenly stopped growing new leaves. The tree has leaf buds, but nothing is growing – it’s as if the buds just stopped mid-growth. The tree is not dropping any of its leaves. Please see photos attached.

In past years the tree had white powdery fungus growth on its leaves, but this year the leaves are clear of the white covering. I do notice a lot of what appear to be spider webs in the tree branches this year.

The soil has not changed, and is covered with ivy and other ground cover. We do not water the tree unless the soil is very dry. In years past I watered the leaves, but stopped when I read this was encouraging the powdery white film on the leaves. The recent rain falls do not appear to have any positive or negative change to the tree.

We had a grafted willow bush near the tree that suddenly died. It started to have a few catkins bud in the early Spring, and then they suddenly stopped, and the bush went dry and died. When I dug it up three weeks ago the branches were brittle and dead. As the timing was about the same, I'm wondering if a bug killed the willow and is affecting the maple.

One last piece of info, after the maple began to bub with new leaves we had several days of nasty frost blow through. Not usual for southern Ontario.

Please consider this problem and advise if there is something I can do to help the tree. It would be a shame to lose it.

Thanks everyone. View attachment 301810View attachment 301811View attachment 301812

 

[Raintree]

Norway Maple not Red, looks like hard frost knocked out the new buds & what you see is your Maple tapping it's energy reserves to again create leaves. Keep tree mulched & soil moist, it needs time to re-foliate. Post pic of the stump area.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Here are some photos of the trunk and overall area around the tree. The ground is covered with plants and is usually moist. I was worried it was too wet - there's no standing water, but the ground cover keep the ground moist expect on the hottest and driest days. Given this, perhaps mulch isn't needed, but instead some sort of fertilizer or Miracle Grow type product?

Yesterday I climbed the fence and cut back more of the neighbour's bush that was encroaching into the tree space. Afterward I took the below photos.

View attachment 301919View attachment 301920View attachment 301921View attachment 301922

I've also sent an e-mail to the nursery where we bought the tree to ask for advice. I'll post here whatever they say.

 

[Raintree]

Expose the root flare.

Need to see this...

 

[Admiral Beez]

How's this? What's next, do I fill that void with mulch, soil or a mix? Thanks for your help.

View attachment 302042View attachment 302043View attachment 302044

 

[Raintree]

Good job on exposing the flare, keep the area dished out & dry. Next step is take a soil sample see what your PH & nutrients are. Mulch is always beneficial avoid re-covering the flare, mulch to the stump not up the trunk. Hold off on fertilizing until sample results, then if needed do in fall. PH can be adjusted anytime. Don't over-water, give time to allow the Maple to recover.

 

[Admiral Beez]

It's been about six weeks now since I added mulch around the tree and have applied fertilizer every two weeks. There's been some new leaf growth, but it still looks very sparse. With autumn now approaching I'm worried the tree will not survive the winter. What's the best plan to help it overwinter?

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Don't. Do. Anything. You had a late frost. It will be ok, as long as you leave it be. Where you got the idea fertilizing it every two weeks was a good plan, I don't know. And you still haven't told us what the ph is. Jeff

 

[Admiral Beez]

Well, the long Canadian winter is over, and I fear my tree is dead. There are buds, but they were there in the autumn. Other maples in the area are now nearly leaf covered. However there are several trees in the neighbourhood that are only now showing some sign of life, so I'm not giving up. I'll report back in three weeks of what I see. Here's some pics from today.

 

[Raintree]

Not much for twig elongation last year, buds appear to be viable & swelling. Any change since you took these pics? How about results from soil test?

 

[Admiral Beez]

No change yet. I did cut off a small branch today and it was white and a little wet in centre with green around below the bark, so I would say it is still alive.

Can you recommend a pH tester kit?

 

[Raintree]

No change is not good, leaves should have popped by now. With the willow dieing near by & now this Norway. My first thoughts would be what is leaching or drifting over from the neighbors?

 

[Admiral Beez]

Here are some pics from today. Note missing bark on trunk and growth at stump? The buds are from last winter and are dried out.

 

[treeseer]

Here are some pics from today. Note missing bark on trunk and growth at stump? The buds are from last winter and are dried out.

3rd pic shows tree buried in grave. exhume mulch and soil off stem and post a pic of the roots as they grow off the stem.