The least likely is that the maple did not adjust to the air humidity or temperatures outside and the drooping is an inability of the roots to supply enough moisture to keep the twigs and leaves hydrated. What I suspect you have more than the above is a root situation. It is almost always too much water or a consistently saturated soil and/or too much fertilizer. I can tell you that I killed my first 4 maples 5 years ago with Miracid, and way too much of it. If used too often or too much or for some reason the fertilizer is not being flushed from the potting medium, the roots will burn and there will be nothing left to provide moisture to the canopy. The leaves often wilt on the branches and new chutes also wilt. These are usually black in color and not crispy or dry but simply wilted. This is followed be branch and twig dieback. I suspect you are close to losing the tree and the best thing you could do is to repot the tree into a well draining mix of fir bark and perlite or a nursery grade planting mix ammended with 50 small bark (pine or Fir) and you can add additional perlite or substitute some perlite for some bark. When repotting trim and rotted roots. Plant so the root flare is a little exposed and keep moist. Mostly shaded will be good exposure, but outside. Buy some superthrive and water with 6-10 drops per gallon every two weeks unitil new leaves emerge. When the wilted twigs become dry prune back all the dead stuff. Then pray. Your chances are pretty good if you act soon. MJH

Okay. This is trouble. It might be too late and since you have pods, replanting might be risky now that we're in the latter part of the season. However, it does depend on your region as mentioned above. I have had plants drop leaves, lots, but managed to get a recovery. Here's what I did: The way I see it, the root system is in trouble. As stated, I had a similar situation this year on one plant - though not as dire. It recovered well and happy. You also might not have any choice but to uproot and clean the root ball. That means carefully unraveling the roots that are bound to the side of the pot. Any rusty, dead looking roots should be clipped. The size of the plant makes it difficult So having someone support the plant while you do the surgery might be required. It's important the roots are wet throughout the operation. It's best to have your soil ready in the new pot so the plant doesn't have to wait around too long. Same sized pot is okay. Make sure the replanting soil is prepared not too soggy, but moist to the point where it is sticky, kind of like instant mashed potatoes when you haven't added enough water. Replant and hope. No matter what, you will still lose leaves. The idea is to not save them, but get a new generation of shoots starting to replace them. When I did this though it was much earlier in the growing season and I would hesitate doing it in mid-August. Re-establishment is always nerve racking because sometimes many days go by without any noticeable change in affairs. But when those new shoots start growing in earnest it is very satisfying.

Are they in pots? Is the water used for irrigation at all salty? Have you applied a lot of fertilizer? These questions aim at the possibility of excess salts in the soil preventing uptake of water. The cure would be flushing the soil with a lot of water. I see that your winter/spring climate is cool to mild with some rain. Has there been unusual rain that would encourage fungus diseases? The ring spots with tan centers-- do the centers sometimes fall out, leaving a hole? This would be spot anthracnose disease. However, it does not cause wilting. The dead areas on the edge of the leaf-- I have seen these in my garden. There is no recognized fungus here that causes this symptom. I have suspected it is caused by excess ammonium from fertilizer. The dark shading on the woody stem-- this could be a fungus that is keeping the stem from transmitting water and causing the wilting. Are there any symptoms that do not show in the photograph, such as different-looking dark spots on other leaves, yellowing, black streaks on the bark, oozing sores on the bark?

Hi All, I recently brought a Black Bat Flower from the local nursery. It has doubled in size since I've brought it. Its in a large pot (The plant isn't root bound) and has been truly happy with its position indoors, and has three flowering flowers. I went to water it this morning and noticed the flower and plant is all limp and flower is only half way through its cycle and is bending over. Does anyone know what this is from? Please help.