Underdog's problem children.

[Underdog]

I have a couple problem children I hope to get advice on. I believe both to be fungal but, what say you?
First is a Trident I've had a couple years. It was repotted into a smaller pot this spring and have been keeping it maybe too wet. But had the same issue last year in a larger pot to a lesser degree. Been letting it grow without any trimming or wiring to get happy.

The leaves are flipping upside down and twisting stems. Curling inward and such. I thought I had read about this here before but my search came up empty. The black/brown spots are new and just noticed today when taking pics.

My thoughts are fungus among us. I have treated with Bionide infuse granules about a month or more ago.
My thoughts are to try peroxide spray next and let it get a bit dryer between waterings. Maybe defoliate somewhat first? I ran out of Diconal spray but never really had great luck with that slimy stuff anyway. I know it's not much but, I hope to develop some branching and improve it a bit.

Love to hear your suggestions and thoughts.

 

[Underdog]

This Japanese Maple was collected from my daughters landscape in March and chopped back to stubs. Sealed and put into a pond basket w/in a nursery can. It' took a while to leaf out and all are deformed and twisty. Some new growth has black/brown tips. I've kept it on my bench on the north side where it gets morning and pm sun only.

This also got the Bionide granules and month ago. My thought are the same as with the Trident above but, asking you folks.

Longer term thinking for both was dormant spraying w/L Sulfer after leaf drop as per @markyscott excellent write up.

 

[sorce]

My Arctic Trident group is acting similar to your regular Trident.
I reckon that heatspell effed it.

Sorce

 

[Underdog]

Trident:
So I'm thinking to partially defoliate the trident and spray with peroxide water mix and re apply the Bionide Infuse. Wondering if I can dissolve it in water and use as a spray?

J Maple I don't want to defoliate as it is a new collection this spring so spray and wait till winter to dormant spray.

Better ideas would be welcomed. Do nothing instead?

 

[Katie0317]

You might want to ask @Shibui or @Brian Van Fleet for help with this. They both have expertise with Tridents and helped me with mine. Brian figured out that something was eating mine.

The only thing I can add is that the color seems off to me. The leaves look pale to me. They have a yellow cast.

When your trident's been healthier do you add fertilizer?

Good luck.

 

[Underdog]

You might want to ask @Shibui or @Brian Van Fleet for help with this. They both have expertise with Tridents and helped me with mine. Brian figured out that something was eating mine.

The only thing I can add is that the color seems off to me. The leaves look pale to me. They have a yellow cast.

When your trident's been healthier do you add fertilizer?

Good luck.

Thanks and yes on yellow. I have fed a couple times this year. Thinking too wet caused that.
First thought it was too dry causing curling so moved up into less sun and watered more setting in a drip tray. Yellowed more but still curling and now some spots.

 

[Underdog]

Adding it was curling some last year also in it's old/bigger pot. Leaves flipping upside down.

 

[Scorpius]

Get all that moss of the Trident soil. Air exchange can do wonders. You definitely have root issues going on.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Hmm…. Taking all the leaves off of a sick tree is asking for big trouble. I won’t do this to my trees…likely ever, even when they are robust.

I can see perhaps a adventitious tar spot fungus attacking the weak leaves. These don’t go away, yet don’t cause a lot of damage…except the leaves don’t look good.

To me they both look like what all the maple trees I have looked like this spring when we have continuous rain pretty much all the time.

A question. What is your watering regime and media?

Anyways, the things that worked for my trees and May do so for yours……. Keep the trees as dry as possible, chock up the pots and H2O2 media/leaf treatments weekly for four weeks.

cheers and good luck!
DSD sends

 

[Underdog]

Get all that moss of the Trident soil. Air exchange can do wonders. You definitely have root issues going on.

Lots of roots. Fresh healthy white and new as this has only been in this pot for 3 months. Coming out of the drain holes already and growing into the moss on the surface.

 

[Underdog]

A question. What is your watering regime and media?

Anyways, the things that worked for my trees and May do so for yours……. Keep the trees as dry as possible, chock up the pots and H2O2 media/leaf treatments weekly for four weeks.

I water daily and sometimes 2x when in the 90s. Maybe too often and I do tend to water everything at the same time except for the stuff I keep on the bench by the house for some shade. This one was moved up there and kept too wet as I was worried about the transition to such a small pot. This is in about 25% crushed red brick I have been experimenting with the last couple years. (baked clay basically) Expanded shale, DE and bark fines. As I said I worried about too dry in a small pot. I'm pretty sure it has been too wet.

Seems I just need to dry it out more and peroxide treatment?

Pics from early april repot.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

Hey Mark
Wish I could help, but my diagnosing skills are not very good these days.

 

[Underdog]

For now I just covered the top with lava to protect the new roots growing around the trunk I have been encouraging. The moss was doing that well.

It rained all night. I put it back in the full sun area and will move it to covered front porch tonight as more rain coming tomorrow. We need it but this guy doesn't.

 

[Underdog]

Hey Mark
Wish I could help, but my diagnosing skills are not very good these days.

Ha ha. I doubt that my friend but thanks for looking you have forgotten more than I will ever know.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Yep wet. ICU for the trident at the moment.

The media is at least one leg of the issue. To make things more difficult, low profile pots hold on to water longer compared to higher profile pots. So…

Not looking for a media war, I merely offer up one hard learned chunk of wisdom from my first year about media. Keep to standard media mixes, at least for your first five years. I use variations of APL except for azaleas.

Once done, this leg of the @Walter Pall Triangle …of fertilizer, media and watering (my moniker for his concept) becomes stable and one only has to concern themselves with discovering the appropriate fertilizer and watering regimes.

If these were trees in my backyard…..

Chock em up for awhile. (I drill 4 side drain holes on all the pots here. this can help avoid or at least resolve these situation by allowing the pot to drain more completely when chocked up.)

Use H2O2 weekly. I’d go with 3 TBSP 3% in QT of water to start and down to 2 TBSP after the first week.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Underdog]

I hate when I search a problem and find a thread I'm looking for but, never see the follow-up on the suggestions made for tree and the results of how it worked out.
Just to follow up on these Maples and what I did and how it is working out at the end of the season. Noticeable improvement in the Japanese Maple after a healthy dose of Bionide Infuse granules and some Daconil. New growth is happy and normal now.





The Trident for better or worse was removed from the small pot and simply plunked into a larger pot of pure pumice this summer Roots not disturbed at all. Watering was cut back and also the same treatment of Infuse and Diconel. New growth was noticeably greener and leaves oriented the right way for the first time in the 2-3yrs I've had it. Pretty late in season but it looked better last month. Only new leaves that grew are pointing the right way.




Thanks for the help offered here Hopefully they are both set of for a Happy New Year.

 

[Underdog]

Those two are looking good this year.
This is the second or third season w/this boxwood having issues. They have double thick leaves and something is getting inside the 2 skins. I used 3in1 Bayer last year and just soaked it again. What say you??? Thanks

 

[Underdog]

No guesses on my Boxwood? I know this is in the Maple subforum but not worth making another thread.