New Amur - Iron Chlorosis?

[zanduh]

Hi Everyone

I had an amur maple shipped to me which arrived today and immediately i noticed black spots and curled black edges of leaves. also the majority of the leaves are yellow-green or green-red.

My thoughts of the possibilities are:
Iron Chlorosis
Stress from being shipped for 5 days
fungal infection

Would really appreciate help from one of you experts. Thanks!!

(also yay first post)

 

[the.ecologist]

How was the bonsai shipped? In a box? Did it have light and water? How did it arrive by X shipping method, once you got it?

 

[zanduh]

How was the bonsai shipped? In a box? Did it have light and water? How did it arrive by X shipping method, once you got it?

The tree was shipped in its pot which was taped to a solid base which was taped to the bottom of the shipping box. the entire rest of the box to the top was packing peanuts. It arrived with the correct orientation and i have no indication that it was treated poorly on its commute.

 

[the.ecologist]

Then it could be anything from the lack of water and light for 5 days? of shipping to the packing peanuts touching the leaves, if it is a tree that has more delicate leaves whose state would be further affected by shipping stress.

 

[zanduh]

Then it could be anything from the lack of water and light for 5 days? of shipping to the packing peanuts touching the leaves, if it is a tree that has more delicate leaves whose state would be further affected by shipping stress.

thanks for the insight! I watered it twice so far today and it’s been in full sun so i’ll check in a week and see if it’s getting better or staying the same.

 

[the.ecologist]

oooooooooooooh, I don't think it'd be good to put it in full sun yet, especially since it's a maple. I might be wrong, but from what i've seen you should just put it in partial and slowly work it up to full unless you know it was in full sun the time before it was shipped

 

[zanduh]

this is my first amur but everything i had read before getting it was that this species was a full sun species. i can put this guy under shade cloth and work to full sun

 

[HorseloverFat]

Shattered SeaShells and billowing pillars of white smoke dictating your arrival, wanderer! Join the Woody Dwarves as we feast, tonight... in the Tiny Forest.

I have an Amur.. well HAD an Amur, (root rot RIP) and HAVE amur CUTTINGS.. lol

That part is not important..

In my area.. black spot fungus affects all outdoor Maples... and the results look very similar to your situation.. I treat mostly with NEEM... liquid copper for persisting issues.

Pleasure to make your acquaintance.

 

[ProfessorFarnsworth]

I have a little amur maple, I keep mine in full sun in Utah and it's very happy. I have tons of little new pink buds coming in now. Mine was unhealthy (lots of burnt leaves) when I bought it from the nursery so it's also quite a bit younger than yours. I have to water that little guy 2 times a day. It was 3 when it was around 100f. Usually when your little buddy is unhealthy you have to give them baby steps while they recover it's excruciating waiting to see what happens but much like ents, trees don't like things to happen fast.

 

[zanduh]

no harm in applying neem oil as a precaution. i appreciate all the advice!

 

[zanduh]

updating a couple days later - I cleared some of the worst of the blackened leaves and sprayed the whole tree with a fungicide to see if the black spots and black edges kept spreading. as of today it looks like it has spread a bit. The tree was given a little more shade during the day and i have been diligent with watering twice a day.

Again I have only owned this tree since last week so it’s very difficult to diagnose but I think there are two separate issues:

1) black spot fungus - very frustrating for appearances but not life threatening

2) I was sold a tree with a very compacted root bowl which is causing the yellow/red leaves - this is a lot more concerning for the health of my tree.

For the bigger issue of being root bound and compacted I took a stick and opened some air holes through the soil.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[sorce]

Welcome to Crazyay!

Did you see this before buying it?

Slapaseller.org

Neem Oil Can Hurt.

Sorce

 

[zanduh]

Welcome to Crazyay!

Did you see this before buying it?

Slapaseller.org

Neem Oil Can Hurt.

Sorce

attached is the picture from the ad. looking back at it I can see a little red on top.

I bought this from DaSu bonsai which had decent things said about it on the forum. I’m not an angry person and I’m not mad at Dave. More so I am just looking to do what I can to fix this currently and move on with a happy healthy tree.

If that means an emergency mid-summer repot or if that means providing extra care and riding it out until dormancy that’s fine.

Also thanks for the welcome

 

[Forsoothe!]

Looks to me like it's had a rough summer and could stand a little TLC. Put it in full sun, feed it with a liquid now and through September to feed next year's buds, tuck it in with a good mulch November 1st or so, and you should be rewarded next spring. This is a tough tree.

 

[sorce]

You don't have to be mad at someone to slap the mess out of them, or angry, sometimes it's just the right thing to do! Lol!

What I mean is, it seems innocent enough. The picture shows it's chlorotic state. So Dave doesn't need to get slapped, contrary, he seems more the kind of dude that would appreciate a heads up that these Covid delays are making trees worse upon arrival.

It only costs a few more bucks for the next transaction to go next day, but if they don't know they should take that option, more trees may suffer, and along with them, Dave's reputation.

So "slap" him!

We can't correct mistakes we don't know are happening!

I collected some amur seedlings just before the Solstice and they have been pushing good new Growth.
People don't believe the rusty iron atop the soil works, but the more we read about bacteria and microorganisms, And mycorrhiza going into rocks to bring trees needed substances, the more I am beginning to see how rusty iron works.
I throwed some on My Mugo and it has been looking better ever since, and nothing else has changed except it's establishment in The basket.

Cheers!

I love my Dasu pot!

Sorce

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I was walking around the farm over the weekend, SW Michigan is in a local drought, near 14 days without rain over a sandy soil that can loose an inch of water to evaporation per day. The forest is looking quite autumn like. This is normal.

If this tree got a touch too dry between watering while at DaSu, that would be enough to have the yellow colors appear. The black spots, as you said earlier are ugly but not life threatening. I would just keep the tree well watered, in half to full sun, and limp it to autumn, feed lightly but regularly, to help provide nutrition for next years buds. Spring should bring a nice flush of new growth. It is too late in the year to do things like defoliation, you don't have enough time before first frost for defoliation to work.

 

[leatherback]

This looks like fungal + chlorosis. Fungal probably because the tree was weakened (chlorosis) and then in an enclose space, which must have been humid and warm, enough to support fungals to enjoy themselves.

I have started using iron fertilizer on my trees this year. Never had my maples this deep green before! So I am with @sorce on "rusty iron" to help.

It is to late in the year for me to do a defoliation. How about you?

Heavy fertilizer, defoliation would be my normal course of proposed action. Maybe leave out the defoliation, and look into anti-fingals especially at the end of winter.

 

[zanduh]

Thank you both!

Definitely too late to defoliate here. I’m not really seeing many leaves falling and the lower layers of leaves are are a vibrant green. I did apply an anti fungal but mostly so that it wouldn’t spread to my younger trees.

I appreciate the advice about the iron but I think my plan for this year is to keep the status quo until dormancy so the tree has time to relax.

 

[leatherback]

I appreciate the advice about the iron but I think my plan for this year is to keep the status quo until dormancy so the tree has time to relax.

I think it would be beneficial for next year, to fertilize the plant with high N and trace elements, tbh

 

[zanduh]

I think it would be beneficial for next year, to fertilize the plant with high N and trace elements, tbh

I’m working through some fertilizer cakes that came on the soil. I can scoop up the rest of that and switch to a high N fertilizer or wait until the end of the month when these should be fully dissolved and then make the switch.