Is our red maple a goner?

[fisher]

We live in southern NH. In early August 2006 we purchased a small red maple tree, about three foot tall and bushy, and planted it in an area with six inches of loam on top of gravel, with sun until 2:00 pm or so. It did well thru the fall and came back to life this spring, fully leafed out and an apparently healthy tree. In mid June the leaves started to curl and then drop off, all but about 8 which hung on for a month or six weeks when they too were gone. I could see little white spots which didn't appear to be insects on a few of the distressed leaves. Now there are no leaves. A similar tree, probably 7 feet tall, about 100 feet away continues to thrive. Where did I go wrong?

 

[treeseer]

scratch the bark to see if it's totally gone or not--green inside means hope (maybe false).

If it's dead, pull it up and look at the roots. The answer is usually there.

 

[DGG]

I have some questions.

Do you have any pictures?

How often do you water it? Has the edger/lawnmower cut the bark around the base of the tree? Did you get it at a nursery or garden center that will replace trees that croak within one year?

 

[DGG]

I doubt you over watered it since the other is doing okay. Anyone put down weed killer or excessive amounts of lawn fertilizer in the vicinity of the root ball? I'd leave it alone for a couple of months and pray for sprouts. If nothing, then I'd yank it and replant (checking the roots carefully to see if you spot anything unusual). I believe Red maples like water and are pretty hardy from my experience. Since you didn't see any leaf damage, or Japanese beetles, or sooty mold, freeze damage, or anything else on the leaves and trunk, it seems like a root issue of some kind. Next time plant a sugar maple, my favorite tree! Good luck.

 

[Timberhauler]

What kind of soil?...And when you planted it did you make sure there were no voids around the rootball?...Newly planted trees also need tons of water.From what you described it sounds like it's a lost cause.Do you have a pic?