Acer palmatum

[ConorDash]

Verticillium invades and clogs the xylem.
So, in simple terms, it will act like cutting a branch off - leaves will quickly desiccate and hang on.
Further details are that verticillium symptoms appear in spring. It does not grow at temperatures above 75F.

Anthracnose is also a cool spring time disease.

With maples, the blackening of the bark you note is indicative of the cambium having died. This can be because of a pathogen in the phloem/cambium or because of some kind of root problem or the tree having gotten very dry during the season. If your tree has root rot, it was affected like heavy root pruning and would get very dry. This cambium death also happens below large branch cuts, but the most instances of this on your tree are old enough that the wound was already closing.

Nectria canker is a common maple pathogen that makes itself known in late summer (August-ish) and one that invades the phloem/cambium. If this was the cause you would have seen little orange dots (fruiting bodies) by now.

Thanks for info, it seems to be just a natural death in that case. Weak tree. Will see how it goes in time, and if it gets worth, etc. Still growth on the tree right now, quite dark due to the season but its there! If it were something bad, that growth would have died off.
Looks to be simply a weak tree, so, no biggy. I think in future it could look cool if I can keep it alive and work on it properly without mistakes..

 

[BackyardBonsai]

How far are you from Herron Bonsai. Looks like he has thousands of JM. Grab a few instead of watching this one then going down hill year after year.

 

[ConorDash]

How far are you from Herron Bonsai. Looks like he has thousands of JM. Grab a few instead of watching this one then going down hill year after year.

Lol yes true, dont worry Im past the point of "watching it die". Ive 23 other trees to keep me busy.. entering winter, i got PLENTY to keep me busy + 3 other maple cultivars.
All good, thank you for the suggestion though . Im not a fan of Maples, Im not buying any more japanese ones for now, till I get better. Trident and field maple, Id buy.

 

[Johnnyd]

Hello,

So here we are again! But this time, there will be action.
I've had a few threads on my Maple so far, which Ill reread again any way but I wanted to start a fresh here just for organisation purposes.
The previous comments on threads, have not gone to waste, don't worry. TImes changes, trees do and people do it would be good to see new opinions.
The album of new pics, taken this morning are here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmdYFQos

And here are some of the ones embed for ease.

DSC_0027 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0021 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0019 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0026 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0023 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0025 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0024 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

So I have not touched this tree in about 2 years now. Repotted last spring, I think it is in a good condition to do some major work, which is what is needed. The chopped moss I put on last spring and soon after, I saw some white fresh roots coming through the surface. I took this as a good sign!
Varying heights of trunk chops are what have been suggested. The 2 large wounds high up, either will be chopped off with the trunk or if not, need to be sorted. One way or another.

I love the base and bottom of the trunk, the movement in it. Perhaps this is not the most ideal for bonsai but I enjoy this, a lot. It is rather taper less though, so a chop would be best I think. Im happy to spend the years, making this tree the best it can be. Also thread grafting was suggested, for nebari.

Have at it, what do you think?

(Unrelated, on the first pic I noticed some small yellow holes, just below the large major wound. Unsure what they are, don't look too concerning yet...)
@dirk hoorelbeke @sorce @BobbyLane

(Unrelated, on the first pic I noticed some small yellow holes, just below the large major wound. Unsure what they are, don't look too concerning yet...)
Maybe those yellow dots were the nectria canker. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious. Thanks for posting. It will help others to watch for this symptom.

 

[BobbyLane]

(Unrelated, on the first pic I noticed some small yellow holes, just below the large major wound. Unsure what they are, don't look too concerning yet...)
Maybe those yellow dots were the nectria canker. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious. Thanks for posting. It will help others to watch for this symptom.

How do we kill it and stop it from multiplying?

 

[LanceMac10]

How do we kill it and stop it from multiplying?

.....get rid of the pot, tree, soil....spill some booze around where the plant lived...everything....

 

[ConorDash]

(Unrelated, on the first pic I noticed some small yellow holes, just below the large major wound. Unsure what they are, don't look too concerning yet...)
Maybe those yellow dots were the nectria canker. Sorry if I'm stating the obvious. Thanks for posting. It will help others to watch for this symptom.

Yeah I saw same thing but it was 4 years... if it lived there for 4 years, through all temps and weather, through all the fungicide and pesticide, through the repoting... fuck it, take the tree, it deserves it.

I don’t think it was that

 

[BobbyLane]

Have you thought about seeking the help of a priest?

 

[Forsoothe!]

One of the problems with makin' 'Taters is, "How much abuse can a plant take when it's chopped year in and year out?" Chopping the top limits the amount of reserves it can produce, and chopping the roots limits how much stored reserves it can call upon for livin' life. That is to not even speak to the pathogens it is exposed to with every wound, treated or untreated.