Second request with photos...Help save my tree!

[happy1957]

My original request for help was a few days ago, I have not been able to upload photos to this site, in fact am so new I can't figure out how to edit the original thread. I apologize but have loaded them to a web site.

http://robinsonrodriguez071307.shutterfly.com/pictures/428



Good morning.. I have a Crimson King Maple in my front yard. It's been growing beautifully since I planted it 9 years ago. I planted it in celebration of purchasing my first home, by myself. This tree is not only beautiful, but has great sentimental value.

I have loved and always wanted a Crimson King Maple since I've been an adult. They are not native to Maine, yet we see them everywhere.

It has been a long winter. Finally May shows up with all it's glory. The flowers are blooming and everything is green.

Then it began to rain about 10-12 days ago. So most of the flowers were not enjoyed as they usually are because they passed early or who wants to stand in their garden in the pouring rain?

(just trying to paint a picture here)

Over the last week or so I had mentioned to my husband and friend how weird the tree is growing, that the leaves on the top of the tree are smaller than at the ends of the branches, but overall it looked ok, just behind others in the neighborhood. Other than the lack of sun, I hadn't given this any thought. I really thought the tree was continuing to blossom.

Yesterday the sun finally appeared. It was a perfect day, about 76, warm and we were just so darn happy to see the sun.

When I came home from work around 6, I always admire my flowers and trees from the car, I just love spring!

OMG, my Maple tree has something wrong. The sun had dried up all the little tender leaves with the exception of the few larger ones on the end of one branch. I parked the car and ran to the tree. It is sick, nothing visible, definitely not a lack of water. It's just wilting like a tulip passing. I tried googling Crimson King Diseases and really didn't find anything.

Can anyone help me, tell me how to nurture this tree back to good health? I love, love, love this tree.

 

[rxgreen]

thats in bad shape...

I own a landscaping company that specializes in lawn and tree care. More than likely that is a dead tree barely hanging on. However if you are set on trying to save it before you put talstar on the tree i would recommend a root zone fertilization and then a fungicide.Wait to put a surface insect killer on till mid June which I recommend Bifen due to its cost and residual over talstar. This isn't going to be cheap for you because you should really call a professional company (don't call trugreen).

 

[Ed Roland]

I would not fertilize a stressed tree nor apply chemical remediation to target an unknown pest.

Clearly this tree is absent a root flare. planted too deep and most likely strangling itself to death with circling roots. Time to excavate soil carefully away from the base of this tree. Try this first.

prescription prior to diagnosis = malpractice

 

[happy1957]

Yes, it is in bad shape...

I am positive this tree wants to live... it's healthy in every respect but the leaves.. I am going to do as you suggested and fertiliz and use a systremic fungicide. The few leaves left on it appear perkier today? We have exposed the top roots and they look healthy and do move away from the tree.

More photos if you'd like to look. FYI, yesterday my sister saw another Crimson King, one town over, she claimed it was in the sam exact condition. It had been suggested to me by a local nursery that it coul dhave been some sort of blight becasue of the rains. Hopefully it can be fixed, it's worth a try. Thank you again for you input.

Message

 

[M.D. Vaden]

It may even have sunburn.

I can't tell from the long shadows in the first photo whether that was a morning or evening image. If later in the day, then the bark damage is on the sunset side, and indicative of sunburn damage from when the tree was in the nursery or after planting.

 

[rxgreen]

I would not fertilize a stressed tree nor apply chemical remediation to target an unknown pest.

Clearly this tree is absent a root flare. planted too deep and most likely strangling itself to death with circling roots. Time to excavate soil carefully away from the base of this tree. Try this first.

prescription prior to diagnosis = malpractice

Horticulture needs to be fed as part of a cultural practice yearly. How is a tree suppose to rebound with out food to strengthen its immune system? The blackening and curling of the leaves is consistent with the lack of nutrients and the OP stated he already had it diagnosed with leaf miner. Tip blight is common in maples though I don't ever remember seeing it to that extent. In my opinion it is anthracnose which occurs during wet and cool conditions. Or you can keep searching for the suicidal root system as Ed suggested

 

[Rftreeman]

are there power lines directly overhead? I hope not, if this tree survives this illness you won't like what the utility company does to it in a few more years.....

 

[happy1957]

No Poerlines close...

Some of the photos are in ht eearly evening after work. The crack is on the sunset side..

We fortunately took the power lines into consideration when planting this tree... this tree could grown 50ft round and be fine!

 

[Rftreeman]

We fortunately took the power lines into consideration when planting this tree... this tree could grown 50ft round and be fine!

glad you did that, can't tell you how many nice mature trees I've had to pretty much destroy because they were planted to close to or under lines, I hope you get the tree well again...

good luck..

 

[Ed Roland]

Horticulture needs to be fed as part of a cultural practice yearly. How is a tree suppose to rebound with out food to strengthen its immune system? The blackening and curling of the leaves is consistent with the lack of nutrients and the OP stated he already had it diagnosed with leaf miner. Tip blight is common in maples though I don't ever remember seeing it to that extent. In my opinion it is anthracnose which occurs during wet and cool conditions. Or you can keep searching for the suicidal root system as Ed suggested

Respectfully.

Trees produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
ISA BMP for arboriculture is prescription fertilization. We simply can not fertilize long lived perennials the way you might turf. Lesco hort supply recommends what... 5x ferts in a single year for centipede grass?
When a tree is sick or stressed, its energy reserves are usually low. Trees can only store energy in living cells. The amount of energy reserves is then directly related to the amount of healthy living cells in wood and inner bark. When elements are added to the soil or injected into the tree, the elements stimulate the natural biological processes to increase their rate. To do this, energy is required. The energy can only come from stored reserves or from new substances produced by photosynthesis. Yearly applications of that big bag-o-macros forces top growth over root growth and destroys associations in the soil. Forcing a stressed tree to grow can KILL it!

Drenching fungistats without identifying the causal is poor practice. Why not take a holistic hands on approach to diagnostics? Have viable samples sent to a local extension for identification of the causal. Once that is defined we can then develop a management strategy.
I would start with root excavation. Norway maples are mighty good about strangling themselves.

 

[rxgreen]

Respectfully.

Trees produce their own food through the process of photosynthesis.
ISA BMP for arboriculture is prescription fertilization. We simply can not fertilize long lived perennials the way you might turf. Lesco hort supply recommends what... 5x ferts in a single year for centipede grass?
When a tree is sick or stressed, its energy reserves are usually low. Trees can only store energy in living cells. The amount of energy reserves is then directly related to the amount of healthy living cells in wood and inner bark. When elements are added to the soil or injected into the tree, the elements stimulate the natural biological processes to increase their rate. To do this, energy is required. The energy can only come from stored reserves or from new substances produced by photosynthesis. Yearly applications of that big bag-o-macros forces top growth over root growth and destroys associations in the soil. Forcing a stressed tree to grow can KILL it!

Drenching fungistats without identifying the causal is poor practice. Why not take a holistic hands on approach to diagnostics? Have viable samples sent to a local extension for identification of the causal. Once that is defined we can then develop a management strategy.
I would start with root excavation. Norway maples are mighty good about strangling themselves.

I understand they do strangle themselves but again he already looked at the root system to see if it was strangling itself, he said it wasn't. So that theory is out of the window and injecting the roots with fertilizer promotes root expansion which in turn promotes top growth yes but first by strengthening the roots. It looks like anthracnose which is not treated by continually looking at the root system but go by your text book answers and I will continue to recommend what I see works on a daily basis in the real world.

 

[Ed Roland]

fertilizer promotes root expansion which in turn promotes top growth yes but first by strengthening the roots.

i see.
Well, rx, im sure your clients are pleased with all the product$ you apply to their landscapes, whether justified or not.

welcome to the site.

 

[rxgreen]

i see.
Well, rx, im sure your clients are pleased with all the product$ you apply to their landscapes, whether justified or not.

welcome to the site.

My customers are thanks. I guess all I learned in becoming a master gardner is how to rip people off. Thanks

 

[Ed Roland]

My customers are thanks. I guess all I learned in becoming a master gardner is how to rip people off. Thanks

I know some extremely knowledgeable practitioners in Michigan. I also happen to know the Michigan master gardener program does NOT advocate broadcast applications of fungicides for undiagnosed issues.
As far as the fertilizer for a stressed tree. Well, that one was from one master practitioner to another.

ed roland
ISA BCMA

 

[rxgreen]

I know some extremely knowledgeable practitioners in Michigan. I also happen to know the Michigan master gardener program does NOT advocate broadcast applications of fungicides for undiagnosed issues.
As far as the fertilizer for a stressed tree. Well, that one was from one master practitioner to another.

ed roland
ISA BCMA

Well ed there are many ways to skin a cat. You have yours I have mine. However I tend to listen to my customers and happy1957 though not a customer asked about an inexpensive treatments to save his tree. I gave him my suggestions to take care of the lack of blooming, anthracnose, and leaf miner. I did not tell him to "broadcast" these treatments across his whole landscape at any time.

Enjoy your holiday weekend ed.

 

[Rftreeman]

must we turn every thread on this forum in to a pissing match, this is one reason I don't visit here much anymore...

 

[Ed Roland]

Thanks Rx. I hope you have a nice holiday as well.

ed