New Shoots Turning Black

[Gaitano]

This is an acer truncatum that is leafing out. Some of the new shoots are turning black at the stems and dying back. Is this a pest problem or wet feet? We had a few days of downpours last week and I started to notice this at the end of last week. The mix is pumice, lava akadama, fir bark in a grow box.

 

[GrimLore]

Honest to me it looks like it took a hard frost, never have I seen that before. More will pipe in I hope...

Grimmy

 

[Gaitano]

I would be happy if it was a little frost damage, but I don't think this was exposed to a frost since I brought it outside. There might have been a night when the temp dropped to just under 40, but that I'm not 100% sure of.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Dieback?

http://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/maple-acer-spp-bacterial-leaf-spot-and-dieback

 

[fourteener]

Sorry people haven't been much help. It's mostly because we don't know either. I would treat it with a fungicide. But I would also add to take it to a nursery and ask them. Not a nursery at a big box store with people who stock plants, but your local nursery/landscapers who actually know plants, or know who to send you to.

It is a valuable resource to have someone you know who knows plants. They don't have to know anything about bonsai really, but they can tell you what's going wrong with things like this. It's either bugs or fungus.

I have a plant guy, he can tell me everything I want to know about plants. He usually slips me some good stuff to treat things. Industry grade...not just consumer grade!!

 

[RKatzin]

I get some of this every spring with my maples. I always chalked it up to frost damage. Our climate encourages early leaves on maples and they often get burned like this. In awhile the tips dry up and fall off and the tree makes new. I have too many trees to move them all inside and many that are in the ground. We just take it in stride and never any lasting effect on the trees once the weather warms.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think fungal infections usually take some time to develop. First a yellowing then a browning and death of the leaf. Sudden death like this is usually from freeze or heavy frost. Sincerly, Rick

 

[fourteener]

I'm gonna guess its tip blight. I've had it on my junipers. New growth comes and then turns yellow and dies. Apparently maples can get tip blight as well.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pseudomonas-tip-blight-japanese-maple-69781.html

No pics but it does talk about blackened growth.

 

[Gaitano]

Very interesting reading in the provided links. I appreciate all of the feedback. I'm going to check out a local nursery I frequent tomorrow and see if I can find a knowledgable resource.

 

[buddhamonk]

happened to mine due to fertilizer burn. Did you recently start fertilizing?

 

[Gaitano]

I did recently put a tea bag in the corner of the box and sprinkled some osmocote.

 

[jk_lewis]

Look up Verticellium Wilt.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

If you take it to a nursery, leave it in the car and ask them to come see it. In case it is virticulum wilt, no nursery owner will be happy to see you darkening the doorstep carrying it.

 

[Eric Group]

http://selectree.calpoly.edu/treedetail.lasso?rid=126

Just a general tree detail on the species, but it says basically there are no known "Health Hazards" that commonly attack this species.

I would lean towards a root issue with this one- was it repotted recently? Too much fertilizer maybe? I think the verticulum wilt normally looks more like a regular brown die back doesn't it? Luckly I do not think I have ever had a tree with that, but have seen plenty of pics online...

The frost damage to new growth I have seen normally turns the leaves red,with brown tips and the leaves shrivel/ crisp up afterwards, of course we don't get super hard core frosts like the "arctic North" guys do, so I am far from an expert on it! It ain't heat/ wind damage, I can confirm that for you! That is something I am an absolute EXPERT on when it comes to diagnosing Maple issues. Still haven't found a reliable method to PREVENT that kind of leaf burn when it gest dry and over 100 degrees in the summer here, but I sure as Hell know what that looks like! LOL

Regardless, good luck! No matter the reason there is obviously some stress going on here, I would remove the fertilizer- as much as you can- place it in a shadier spot, watch it close and it couldn't hurt to try a mild fungicide/ cure all organic application like neem Oil or something along those lines. Even if it IS just a root issue and the tree is not infected with a disease currently- a stressed tree is a magnet for pests and fungus and you don't want your tree to get something deadly before it can bounce back.

If it is the Wilt... Well.. Sorry for your loss!

 

[Gaitano]

Wow. I really hope it's not wilt! Although looking at examples, it does not seem to match. The leaves show no damage, it's on the petiole. Once it turns black leaf shrivels and dries up since the pipeline is cut off. That also seems to develop through the soil and I don't believe this has ever seen ground growing.

The tree was repotted to a grow box in the last week of Feb. it was kept in my unheated garage and recently brought outside as the temp rose. A few times the night lows dropped to the mid 30s or below and it was brought back inside for the night (as I will do again Monday night, with a low is predicted for 29).

Since it has been outside it was sprinkled with osmocote and I put a small tea bag of plantone/cottonseed meal mix in the corner. These have since been removed. We did have several days of heavy rain last week and it hasn't been able to dry up yet.

I did apply a round of insecticidal soap and might do a fungal for good measure.

I appreciate all the responses! I'll update any progress.

My gal at the nursery wasn't working today so I couldn't pick her brain.

 

[rdb00]

This is an acer truncatum that is leafing out. Some of the new shoots are turning black at the stems and dying back. Is this a pest problem or wet feet? We had a few days of downpours last week and I started to notice this at the end of last week. The mix is pumice, lava akadama, fir bark in a grow box.

Did you ever diagnose this? Having the same issue with my Katsura

 

[Gaitano]

I don’t have this tree anymore, but I’d have to guess it was a root problem. Due to the excessive rain the roots didn’t have the ability to dry down. I’ve learned to tilt my pots when they’re staying too wet from excessive rain.

 

[rdb00]

I don’t have this tree anymore, but I’d have to guess it was a root problem. Due to the excessive rain the roots didn’t have the ability to dry down. I’ve learned to tilt my pots when they’re staying too wet from excessive rain.

Thanks for your reply