I have two autumn blaze maple trees that need help. The bigger one was planted 3 years ago and the smaller one last year. The smaller one's leafs have turned all red and the the larger trees leafs have turned red on just one side (see pics). They were both turned all red late in the growing season last year after I put 3 fertilizer stacks in the ground around each one. They both came back this year looking good but now there turning red again. Is this from the fertilizer? and if so will it just take time for it to go a way? Also they don't seem to be growing bigger at all. Is there any thing I can do to help them? The big tree is about a 3 to 3 1/2 inch and the small 2 to 2 1/2 inch. Any help would be great. ThanksView attachment 188636View attachment 188637View attachment 188638
Autumn Blaze Maple trees need HELP
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Loraxguy
ArboristSite Operative
autumn blaze
sounds like the trees are under stress, maybe to much water? What is your ph of your soil?
sounds like the trees are under stress, maybe to much water? What is your ph of your soil?
I don't think there's to much water the trees in the back yard are doing great and that area is wetter. As far as PH I don't know. Is there a simple test I can buy from a local store? So your not thinking its from the fertilizer?
ChrisWNY
ArboristSite Operative
I've found Autumn Blaze Maples (silver/red hybrids) to be temperamental their first few years in the ground. I planted some Autumn Blazes a few years ago and the first year they put on a lot of growth, but both had some sort of leaf spot disease by late in the Summer, the foliage was real ugly/brown by September and I was worried they might not bloom the following Spring (I was wrong, however, they did fine by Spring). The following year we had an unusually wet mid-Summer (7" of rain in July, 8" in August), so the front-most Autumn Blaze was under a lot of water stress since it was over-watered by Nature, most of the foliage again looked withered by late Summer.
Last year I began treating both Maples with Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub, and applied a fungicide in the early Spring before bud-break this year, they are both growing vigorously again with no issues, foliage is the healthiest I've seen it since the first year I planted them. Both have put on over a foot of new growth, with the leader branches growing even taller, nearly 2' so far and it's not even July yet.
Last year I began treating both Maples with Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub, and applied a fungicide in the early Spring before bud-break this year, they are both growing vigorously again with no issues, foliage is the healthiest I've seen it since the first year I planted them. Both have put on over a foot of new growth, with the leader branches growing even taller, nearly 2' so far and it's not even July yet.
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jamied
ArboristSite Operative
ABM's are not fussy at all in my experiance. I moved a 3" cal 12'+ ABM by hand on a 93 degre day last month(strongly not advised to attempt), it is putting on new growth in it's new location. In wisconsin I see 4+ feet a year of growth on ABM's.
I suspect a planting / root problem. The steaks / spikes (fertilizer) do little to nothing, You normally don't need to fertilize trees if you do, use a slow release Osmocote type fert spread evenly inside the drip line in the spring. You can also do a very dilute water soluable up
to early in the summer. Again, fertilizing trees is normally not necessary and may be harmful if done wrong. Top dressing under the dripline with an organic mulch can be very valuable as long as it isn't too deep.
Can you please describe how you planted them, what the roots looked like and take close up photos of the base of the tree where it meets the ground?
Jamie
I suspect a planting / root problem. The steaks / spikes (fertilizer) do little to nothing, You normally don't need to fertilize trees if you do, use a slow release Osmocote type fert spread evenly inside the drip line in the spring. You can also do a very dilute water soluable up
to early in the summer. Again, fertilizing trees is normally not necessary and may be harmful if done wrong. Top dressing under the dripline with an organic mulch can be very valuable as long as it isn't too deep.
Can you please describe how you planted them, what the roots looked like and take close up photos of the base of the tree where it meets the ground?
Jamie
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Hello,
This looks very similar to what I am experiencing with three ABMs. I had a new home built this past winter. This spring was very cool and wet (St Paul, MN area). My yard has a lot of clay in it and it slopes to the back quite well so there is no standing water. The landscape company used by the builder supplied the trees. I picked out three ABMs and two other Autumn Fantasy Maples.
I do not know for sure when the trees were dug up for transplanting, but I suspect from earlier talks with the landscape company owner that this would have happened sometime in early May. At that time the temps were cool and wet, although we have since transitioned to a more normal summer of warm to hot temps with average rainfall over the past month or more.
The trees were installed about four weeks ago (late June). Unfortunately, I was not there so I don't know how large the holes were dug, how they were prepped, nor how the root balls were prepped.
About 2.5 weeks ago the irrigation system and sod were installed. The recommendation was to water twice per day, early morning and then in the evening, in order to keep the sod moist to get it started. I have just now switched to a normal sod watering schedule which will be two deep waterings per week.
In looking at the pictures the OP provided, this looks quite similar to what is happening with all three of my ABMs. The leaves have all started to turn a brown to dark red. They don't appear to the be drying up like I would expect to find with dead leaves. The leaves started to turn about a week ago which was during the middle of the period I was heavy watering the sod. Maybe a coincidence? Maybe not?
The two Autumn Fantasy Maples do not appear to have any changes taking place to them at this time. Their leaves are green.
Once the current thunderstorms pass I will try to take some pics and post them.
Thoughts?
This looks very similar to what I am experiencing with three ABMs. I had a new home built this past winter. This spring was very cool and wet (St Paul, MN area). My yard has a lot of clay in it and it slopes to the back quite well so there is no standing water. The landscape company used by the builder supplied the trees. I picked out three ABMs and two other Autumn Fantasy Maples.
I do not know for sure when the trees were dug up for transplanting, but I suspect from earlier talks with the landscape company owner that this would have happened sometime in early May. At that time the temps were cool and wet, although we have since transitioned to a more normal summer of warm to hot temps with average rainfall over the past month or more.
The trees were installed about four weeks ago (late June). Unfortunately, I was not there so I don't know how large the holes were dug, how they were prepped, nor how the root balls were prepped.
About 2.5 weeks ago the irrigation system and sod were installed. The recommendation was to water twice per day, early morning and then in the evening, in order to keep the sod moist to get it started. I have just now switched to a normal sod watering schedule which will be two deep waterings per week.
In looking at the pictures the OP provided, this looks quite similar to what is happening with all three of my ABMs. The leaves have all started to turn a brown to dark red. They don't appear to the be drying up like I would expect to find with dead leaves. The leaves started to turn about a week ago which was during the middle of the period I was heavy watering the sod. Maybe a coincidence? Maybe not?
The two Autumn Fantasy Maples do not appear to have any changes taking place to them at this time. Their leaves are green.
Once the current thunderstorms pass I will try to take some pics and post them.
Thoughts?
jamied
ArboristSite Operative
Since you bought these and paid to have them installed so recently, I would suggest you call up the company and ask them to replace the trees. Or at least ask for them a professional assessment of what the problem might be.
Having them come by to take a look is on my list of things to do. However, I have found that not all landscape companies have a good working knowledge of the products they carry. King of why I have been surfing the web in search of information to better educate myself on what may be going on and what options I may have.
As for replacing them, I am not sure it would be feasible to do so this year if indeed that is what needs to be done. One of the trees is a 5.5 inch trunk so it would take some large equipment to bring it out. I am afraid of how much damage would be done to the sod and underlying ground. The other two trees are 3 inch trunk.
