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Anthracnose on maples question

13 years ago

I have 3 four year old maples (one October Glory and 2 Red Sunset) with anthracnose. They are all doing well in terms of the leaves don't look THAT bad, actually they didn't lose any leaves from it. I tried antifungals a few months ago to try to stave off the disease, but everything I read online was right, just let the leaves fall, gather them up and throw them away which I plan to do.

But what do I do then? Do I spray the bare tree in the fall with antifungal or wait til the leaves bud in the spring? I am in Western Ny if that helps.

Also, I need to prune a couple of branches off the trees here and there. I have never pruned anything in my entire life. Is it best to do it next month or wait til March? Is there a better pruning tool than others and can anyone suggest a trusted website on how to prune? I love these trees and don't want to unintentionally harm them.

Thank you to anyone who can help me.

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Comment (1)

mainegrower
13 years ago
Are you positive it's anthracnose? This disease usually appears in the spring during wet, cool weather. It's common around here, but I haven't seen it at all this year, likely because of the unusually warm, dry weather in the Northeast. Tar spot, on the other hand, is visible on many maples.

All in all, spraying anti-fungal chemicals is probably a costly waste of time. Anthracnose and other fungus infections are rarely fatal to maples unless the infection is severe and occurs several years in a row. Disposing of fallen leaves will help, but the infectious spores tend to ignore property boundaries.

Wait until the trees are dormant before pruning. There are lots of good books and no doubt websites which will give plenty of information on tools and techniques.
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