Trident maple clump

[Rod]

My trident maple clump with five trees has three of the trees with yellowing leaves and the other two are green and healthy looking. They have been in this box a year now, and trunks seem to be fusing nicely. Soil ph is around 7. I water them morning and night, and still drains well. Any advise is greatly appreciated thanks

 

[rockm]

Can’t really give you much if you’re not specific about what you’re asking about. Yellow leaves? Soil? Fusing? (Can’t say much about that because the photo doesn’t show it.)

 

[Rod]

Can’t really give you much if you’re not specific about what you’re asking about. Yellow leaves? Soil? Fusing? (Can’t say much about that because the photo doesn’t show it.)

Leaves yellowing

 

[Dav4]

It's possible you could be overwatering. That's a very big box with lots of soil and probably holds a lot of moisture. As long as the tree is growing well, it's probably only a minor issue.

 

[rockm]

I concur. If you’re watering twice a day regardless of the trees need most likely overwatering. A box that big compared to the root mass will hold a lot of water and remain soggy for the most part. The box is about three times too big for the apparent root mass

 

[Rod]

I concur. If you’re watering twice a day regardless of the trees need most likely overwatering. A box that big compared to the root mass will hold a lot of water and remain soggy for the most part. The box is about three times too big for the apparent root mass

I’ll start watering once a day and check soil more frequently. It may drain slower than the others I probably need to let it dry out better. You are right about the box. But it was all I had when the seedlings were leftover from another project. Planning to repot this coming spring.

 

[rockm]

Don’t default to watering once a day. You have to water when the trees need it. That requires monitoring them every day. Monitoring doesn’t have to be intense just lift the pot or check the chopstick etc to see if water is required. It may it may not. Watering requirements vary day to day

 

[ponderingsage]

It can also be variance in the trees unless you used cuttings from the same mother stock… seedlings will not all be identical( if you used seedlings).

 

[leatherback]

three of the trees with yellowing leaves and the other two are green and healthy looking

and these are all in the one clump, thus in the same box?
Then the general care is unlikely

Unless the 2 green ones are not growing... My suspicion was on lack of fertilizer. The leaves are not just yellowing they have green veins..?

 

[Shibui]

Overwatering is a possibility but I would expect that to affect all the seedlings rather than just 3 out of 5.
The yellow leaves does look like nutrient deficiency but, again, why would a couple of stems not be affected?

Seems more like something specific that's just affecting those 3 stems.
Are the affected trees on the sunny side or shady side of the clump?
Any chance of herbicide having been used nearby?

Need to have a closer look at those affected stems. Maybe scratch down to the surface roots to see if anything different on one side or the other.

How are/were the individual seedlings held together to fuse?
Just asking because if the ties are still in place that might be strangling those seedlings.

 

[Ozz80]

and these are all in the one clump, thus in the same box?
Then the general care is unlikely

Unless the 2 green ones are not growing... My suspicion was on lack of fertilizer. The leaves are not just yellowing they have green veins..?

It is possible. Enlarging the photo, it is seen that some leaves have interveinal yellowing, which is called chlorosis. But since details are not clear on the photo for all leaves, you need to check it for the entire plant to be sure of that.

If it is chlorosis, possible reasons can be iron or manganese deficiency.

Meanwhile, I can not explain why some of the trees are affected and some not. Maybe health of the root system affects the reaction to the nutrient deficiency as well. I have an alkaline soil in my yard and chlorosis is a common issue that I have to cope with every season. What I have noticed so far is, on a single tree, there can be some leaves that have chlorosis while others look healthy. Or at three camellias that are planted closely, one has chlorosis and other two does not. In my case, regular application of chelated iron solves the issue since i cannot change the soil of the ground. For plants in pots, repotting to a slightly more acidic (less alkaline) soil on spring can be a better and long term solution.

You have written that soil ph is around 7 though. I am not sure of that, but maybe in your case, overwatering washes nutrients away? So using a bit more fertilizer can be the solution?

 

[Ozz80]

Actually according to this document, overwatering can be the cause of the chlorosis as well.

https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2071/2013/12/Chlorosis-in-Trees-and-Shrubs.pdf

 

[Rod]

Overwatering is a possibility but I would expect that to affect all the seedlings rather than just 3 out of 5.
The yellow leaves does look like nutrient deficiency but, again, why would a couple of stems not be affected?

Seems more like something specific that's just affecting those 3 stems.
Are the affected trees on the sunny side or shady side of the clump?
Any chance of herbicide having been used nearby?

Need to have a closer look at those affected stems. Maybe scratch down to the surface roots to see if anything different on one side or the other.

How are/were the individual seedlings held together to fuse?
Just asking because if the ties are still in place that might be strangling those seedlings.

I think you help me I had put grafting tape earlier this spring to add a 5th trunk. I removed it and they seem to be doing better.