Is this die back or a disease?

giventofly

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IMG_20220812_111122.jpgIMG_20220812_111155.jpg

I noticed first on the left image, but assumed it was die back (until the healty branch started that was starting to grow new leaves/branches dried down) and now on the other side (right image) seems to be getting it too.

Should I assume the probable loss and cut those branches and see if the tree survives?
 

Paradox

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The tree is clearly a struggling to survive.
I would not cut anything with growth on it.

What kind of soil is it in and how often do you water? How much sun is it getting and are you in an area of Europe that is experiencing record heat right now?
 

giventofly

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Gets around ~6h sun, I'm watering 1x/2x day (3x in the heat wave that have passed), I check if the soil is getting dry very quickly. Soil is ~60% akadama + maple mix bought from a bonsai nursery.

So leave the live branch as is and cut the one that has died ?
 

Paradox

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I would move it to a spot that gets around 4 hours of morning sun and afternoon shade. Keep watering as you have. Hopefully it will pull through.

I wouldn't cut anything yet. If it doesn't sprout new buds by winter, you can cut it then.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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I would cut nothing until late winter. When you do cut, after making your cuts, wipe down your tools with 70% ethanol to kill any pathogens that might have adhered to the cutting surfaces. Wash hands after handling this tree before touching other maples. If possible spatially separate this tree from other maples by some distance, keep this maple downwind of the rest of your collection, never upwind. You want to avoid this disease spreading. If it is anthracnose, it is spread by splashing of water drops. So this tree should never be above any of your other maples where water can drip down from this tree. But if it is not anthracnose, it might be airborne, hence the need for spatial separation. This is "proper disease control" where the focus is to prevent spread.

Myself, I would compost the tree and not re-use the soil. Sterilize the pot by an alcohol, or a 10:1 water : household (laundry) bleach solution. The bleach (calcium hypochlorite) solution needs to be diluted to get best sterilizing activity. Rinse empty pot in this before re-using pot. This rinsing of pots in bleach is a good "standard practice" for good plant hygiene if one wants to control easily transmitted plant pathogens and plant virus.
 

penumbra

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Myself, I would compost the tree
This tree is beyond saving. I would put it in the burn pile or double bag it and put it in the trash.
not re-use the soil. Sterilize the pot by an alcohol, or a 10:1 water : household (laundry) bleach solution. The bleach (calcium hypochlorite) solution needs to be diluted to get best sterilizing activity. Rinse empty pot in this before re-using pot. This rinsing of pots in bleach is a good "standard practice" for good plant hygiene if one wants to control easily transmitted plant pathogens and plant virus.
^^^^^
 

giventofly

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I would cut nothing until late winter. When you do cut, after making your cuts, wipe down your tools with 70% ethanol to kill any pathogens that might have adhered to the cutting surfaces. Wash hands after handling this tree before touching other maples. If possible spatially separate this tree from other maples by some distance, keep this maple downwind of the rest of your collection, never upwind. You want to avoid this disease spreading. If it is anthracnose, it is spread by splashing of water drops. So this tree should never be above any of your other maples where water can drip down from this tree. But if it is not anthracnose, it might be airborne, hence the need for spatial separation. This is "proper disease control" where the focus is to prevent spread.

Myself, I would compost the tree and not re-use the soil. Sterilize the pot by an alcohol, or a 10:1 water : household (laundry) bleach solution. The bleach (calcium hypochlorite) solution needs to be diluted to get best sterilizing activity. Rinse empty pot in this before re-using pot. This rinsing of pots in bleach is a good "standard practice" for good plant hygiene if one wants to control easily transmitted plant pathogens and plant virus.

Thank you, solid advice. I thought growth stopped after summer, I will separate it and see if survives. It was one of my favourite trees that I had great hope in it for the future, so I will try to save it first before giving up.
 

penumbra

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Thank you, solid advice. I thought growth stopped after summer, I will separate it and see if survives. It was one of my favourite trees that I had great hope in it for the future, so I will try to save it first before giving up.
I completely understand your point of view and respect it, just keep in ind that you are babying a plant that is diseased, and it could spread. Please take every care possible to avoid this. In my world, with 40 plus JM cultivars and maybe a hundred seedlings, it would not be logical or prudent.
 

giventofly

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I have it already separated from all my trees and will see if it seems to be getting better or If I need to pull the plug on it. thank you for the advice
 

penumbra

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I just noticed that you are in zone 10. That is really tough for a JM.
Good luck.
 

giventofly

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I'm in 9c/10a most probably, depends on the site I check. There are some maples around here from neighbors, i'll do my best
 

penumbra

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I am in a temperate climate so the perfect zone for JM. But I do know there are JM that don't mind the heat as much and some JM that can't tolerate the heat. Just bear that in mind. If the one you have fails, you just haven't found The One.
 

BrightsideB

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I thought it was a rainbow eucalyptus branch at first glimpse but then saw the budding foliage. You should talk to the people who grow jm’s in your area to see what ones survive. I would suspect it’s the heat that weakened the tree making it vulnerable to that disease. Shade cloth would do you well in that heat. It will keep the soil cooler as well.
 

giventofly

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I thought it was a rainbow eucalyptus branch at first glimpse but then saw the budding foliage. You should talk to the people who grow jm’s in your area to see what ones survive. I would suspect it’s the heat that weakened the tree making it vulnerable to that disease. Shade cloth would do you well in that heat. It will keep the soil cooler as well.

I noticed the blackness spreading about a week later the heat wave that occurred, could be the cause indeed, I will update later
 
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