Help with field maple

[itisoktodance]

My field maple is going brown. I asked around a few weeks ago and was told to just remove the leaves that went brown, but now it's spread to almost every leaf. This tree has only been in my care for a year, and I was planning on repotting it this spring. Unfortunately, this also happened last August, so I thought it might be too week for a repot.

What could be the cause? The soil isn't the best and might retain water, but it's nothing too bad. Is it sunburn, fertilizer burn, lack of magnesium (was told that might also be a cause, but I have no idea how to treat that)? Is it something else? Do I need to repot or something?

Thanks in advance.

 

[discusmike]

What have you been fertilizing with? Chemical fert? And for how long?

 

[penumbra]

I think it is in the roots. Probably overwatered for current soil mix. Please put your location in your profile so we can be of more help.

Noticed you have a build up on your leaves. Have you sprayed it recently or is it your water?

 

[sorce]

That new growth down low kinda says it's fine.

Seems fungal.

Sorce

 

[itisoktodance]

That new growth down low kinda says it's fine.

Seems fungal.

Sorce

The new growth is also turning brown.

 

[itisoktodance]

What have you been fertilizing with? Chemical fert? And for how long?

I fertilize with chemical fertilizer, can't get organic here. I do it pretty frequently, once every three weeks or so.

 

[itisoktodance]

I think it is in the roots. Probably overwatered for current soil mix. Please put your location in your profile so we can be of more help.

Noticed you have a build up on your leaves. Have you sprayed it recently or is it your water?

That's just my water. That happens unless I do it with filtered and my filter isn't very high capacity, so can't water with that.

I thought my location was already in there, sorry! I'm in Skopje, North Macedonia, USDA zone 8a. It gets pretty hot and dry here.

 

[discusmike]

I would not fertilize anymore until you sort things out, is the soil staying wet longer then usual? Chemical fertilizers can cause a lot of issues if your not careful.

 

[itisoktodance]

I would not fertilize anymore until you sort things out, is the soil staying wet longer then usual? Chemical fertilizers can cause a lot of issues if your not careful.

Yes, in the spring it would dry out much faster. Now it stays wet for a couple days even.

 

[discusmike]

The fertilizer can cause nutrient lock up, this has happened to me more then once, I only use chemicals a couple times in spring, early summer then switch to only organic, fill a tub with rain water or r/o water, submerge the entire pot for like 20 minutes, then remove put in shade and put bricks under one side of pot, very steep angle so water drains rapidly, every couple days rotate pot, when the pot needs water again repeat with new rain water, it will take a little time but you will eventually see the tree recover, make sure that home made pot is draining adequately

 

[itisoktodance]

The fertilizer can cause nutrient lock up, this has happened to me more then once, I only use chemicals a couple times in spring, early summer then switch to only organic, fill a tub with rain water or r/o water, submerge the entire pot for like 20 minutes, then remove put in shade and put bricks under one side of pot, very steep angle so water drains rapidly, every couple days rotate pot, when the pot needs water again repeat with new rain water, it will take a little time but you will eventually see the tree recover, make sure that home made pot is draining adequately

Oh, it's not in a home made pot. That's just another project in the foreground.

Thank you for the advice. I will try and flush it out as best I can.

 

[discusmike]

If it’s a plastic pot you can drill more holes in bottom

 

[itisoktodance]

If it’s a plastic pot you can drill more holes in bottom

Nope, it's a nice Japanese bonsai pot. Do you think it might be beneficial to just remove the root ball from the pot and either put it in a pond basket, or just leave it like that (no pot) on the bench? I know a guy that just keeps them bare on the bench like that and it's been working for him for decades, apparently.

 

[discusmike]

No, just tilt at sharp angle, water will come out, then switch sides everyday

 

[discusmike]

Don’t mess with the roots

 

[bwaynef]

I had similar growth on a field maple for a couple of years, then I started spraying with Lime Sulphur during dormancy and haven't had this issue anymore. That led me to believe it was fungal. I haven't identified particularly what the ailment was, but it wasn't slowed by the swath of fungicides I threw at it during the year.

 

[itisoktodance]

I had similar growth on a field maple for a couple of years, then I started spraying with Lime Sulphur during dormancy and haven't had this issue anymore. That led me to believe it was fungal. I haven't identified particularly what the ailment was, but it wasn't slowed by the swath of fungicides I threw at it during the year.

I thought fungal too, but I had tried two different fungicides and neem, back when one of my other trees had a fungal issue and I treated all my trees preventively.

I'm keeping the tree in a bag right now to encourage budding (it's working, the tree is finally pushing new growth), and I'll see if the same happens to the new growth if kept in shade. If it does, then I'll do as you said and apply lime Sulphur to the tree.

Do you only apply once for the entire year, or several times over the dormant period?

 

[bwaynef]

There are resources on this site that detail Dormant Spraying. I only apply LS once during dormancy.

 

[Tieball]

It looks like a result of heat stress, usually from hot dry conditions, and root drought. Scorching the leaves.