Why did my Lion's Head Japanese Maple Die
julas
8 years ago
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Possible Virticillium Wilt in Japanese Maple
Comments (1)Verticillium wilt is very present in PNW soils......it is a pretty common problem and seems to affect Japanese maples more so than most other species. To answer your questions.....you can have it tested and confirmed if you wish but it is not absolutely necessary if you are feeling relatively secure in your diagnosis. The second tree may not be infected. VW is an opportunistic pathogen and typically infects trees that are stressed or damaged for some reason. It is quite possible to have a second JM or other susceptible species close by that is untouched and often will remain so. Species that are not as prone to VW as Japanese maples and older, very well-established trees can often survive the disease long term with only partial dieback, provided proper care is given. I have yet to see a JM infected with VW in our area survive very long, so forget the 'management" approach. It just doesn't work with a Japanese maple :-) Typically, VW is extremely fast acting with Japanese maples, with the entire tree dying in a matter of days. It will not hurt at this point to take a wait and see approach with the affected tree - significant dieback that is present in spring (by failure to leaf out) may or may not indicate imminent death. Usually, VW and the very rapid decline shows up in mid to late summer, but with the extremes our weather has demonstrated over the past couple of years, these early season signs of the disease are becoming more prevalent. If the disease is confirmed, the tree should be removed, but I'd be extremely careful about root removal. If there is any chance the roots of the problem tree have intermingled with the nearby healthy (so far) tree, leave them alone and in place. Again, VW is present in most NW soils so it is very likely the pathogen is throughout your garden. But it is typically present in an inactive or dormant state unless stimulated into activity by root damage, mechanical damage or excessive stress. If planted carefully, given proper care and good garden sanitation adhered to, there is no certainty any other susceptible tree or shrub on your property will contract the disease. In my old garden, I lost two trees to VW, one in the front and one in the backyard. Since they were never present in the garden during the same time period, there was no chance one could have infected the other. VW susceptible species were planted close to both but were never infected either. But I never disturbed the root systems - the one in front (a JM) I cut down and the young western redbud in back I just left in place as a vine support until it finally rotted away. It is disturbing to lose a valuable and well-loved tree to this disease. But it did not discourage me from adding additional VW susceptible plants to my garden, however any new Japanese maples I did confine to containers to reduce any further possibility of problems. That became the start of a rather large collection of containered JM's, which I was able to take with me when I moved. Wouldn't have been able to do that had they been planted in the ground, so there's a bit of a silver lining in any dark cloud :-)...See MoreIs my Japanese Maple Tree dead? Did I poison it with Preen?
Comments (16)The topic is Japanese maple trees, not tender non-woody annual or perennial plants like tomatoes or sunflowers!! The reaction to herbicide drift will be very different between the two types of plants. One will react to the herbicide virtually overnight with browning, drying and death. The other will not die unless it is directly sprayed with herbicide and even something like gylphosate or concentrated brush killer will take multiple applications to kill an established woody plant like a tree. This is not supposition but fact......documented by literature and confirmed by several decades as a professional horticulturist!...See MoreGarden's thriving - why not my clematis, mountain laurel, Jpnse maple?
Comments (4)-This is in Brooklyn. It's been a great spring/summer, with lots of rain and moderate heat -- though more recently, since these shots were taken. -No lawn fert spray, here in the city. Only transplants this spring were some impatiens and heuchera. The kalmia just went in last spring, along with some pieris, azalea, J ferns, carex. -The variegated J. maple is in the shadow of a big London plane. Excessive sunlight has never been an issue. -If it's root rot on the kalmia, a) how do you confirm?, b) what do you do? In it's first year it bloomed really well in early June ... and then this die-back started in late June/early July. -If clematis has mite infestation, if it's not too late should I use Neem oil or something else?...See MoreWhat’s up with my Lions Head JM??
Comments (15)In the next to the last shot there are what could perfectly well be honey fungus (Armillaria) rhizomorphs visible on top of the mulch, to the right of the oxalis leaf. And in the right position to account for the trunk wound and detaching bark. Although it is often stated that a whitish fungal growth will be seen when the bark comes off an Armillaria infested trunk (click on the link to an oak page that comes up on the photo page below for descriptive information about honey fungus): https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/maple-acer-spp-armillaria-root-rot If the tree did come from the outlet with a pathogen such as honey fungus then this episode serves to illustrate how "sad plants" aren't necessarily a good deal - you may have now introduced a nuisance destructive agent to your planting site....See Morejulas
8 years agomblan13
8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years agomagpiepix 5b/6a
8 years agojulas
8 years agomblan13
8 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
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