What is this blight? Bigtooth Maple

bonsaichile

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Hey, my bigtooth maple is having some issues. So far, I have sub-standard growth and the leaves are getting spots and becoming brittle. I moved it to a position with only morning sun, but to no avail. Any ideas?0C4D485F-B479-4D67-B406-E50B8DCC213E.jpeg11A97D31-1C86-40ED-BE76-A317C9E78163.jpeg
 

moke

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Did you collect this tree? They are very root sensitive.
 

bonsaichile

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I dug it out from my bed this Spring. It had a trunk chop last year (late Fall) and it budded abundantly in May
 

0soyoung

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My first suspicion is fungus and I would execute the fugus SOP - remove affected leaves and spray. If it reappears, repeat. If it reappears a third time --> it is something else. Hopefully I've been paying attention in the meantime and will have a clue for my next steps in that event.

However, I do note that it is in a huge box - a circumstance conducive to 'over watering'.
 

bonsaichile

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Thank you, Oso. I have noticed the ground staying wet for longer than my other maples. I will spray with fungicide and adjust the watering.
 

moke

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I have collected many of these particular trees and I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but typically when the leaves begin to do this they just continue to drop them all and they don’t come back. I have started growing them from seed hoping to to start with a better root system to begin with and hopefully be less intrusive with the roots while developing them? Hopefully I am wrong about yours...but I’ve seen it happen too many times with this species. ☹️
Best of luck,
 

bonsaichile

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hopefully not. it did something similar last year, while still in ground, and made it through. let's see what happens. i just got a new one, from a local nursery that is closing down. nice fat trunk for $40. i will go slow on the roots, maybe treat them as if it were a pine tree. I cam see a broom style tree here.20190718_115232.jpg
 

moke

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hopefully not. it did something similar last year, while still in ground, and made it through. let's see what happens. i just got a new one, from a local nursery that is closing down. nice fat trunk for $40. i will go slow on the roots, maybe treat them as if it were a pine tree. I cam see a broom style tree here.View attachment 252715
Nice tree, wish I could find them at the nurseries around here.
 

bonsaichile

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they are pretty common as a landscape shrub in Denver. Which makes sense, given they are native to the area and put up a nice show in the Fall
 

bonsaichile

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Nice tree, wish I could find them at the nurseries around here.
do you have any piece of advice on how to take care of this guy? My plan now is to peave it alone in its current nursery can for a year; next fall hard prune it; let it recover; then do a HBR and puting it in a grow box; let it recover; bare root the other half. a 5 year plan.
 

moke

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do you have any piece of advice on how to take care of this guy? My plan now is to peave it alone in its current nursery can for a year; next fall hard prune it; let it recover; then do a HBR and puting it in a grow box; let it recover; bare root the other half. a 5 year plan.
Sounds like an excellent plan, I think the HBR will definitely help with not stressing the tree near as much. I was speaking to a guy at a bonsai show that has had much success with the Bigtooth maples and that’s what he recommended HBR.
Can’t wait to watch your trees progress, I think the Bigtooth maple has potential to make very nice bonsai. I don’t think there are many out there either, and the leaves reduce very nice as well.
 

bonsaichile

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Sounds like an excellent plan, I think the HBR will definitely help with not stressing the tree near as much. I was speaking to a guy at a bonsai show that has had much success with the Bigtooth maples and that’s what he recommended HBR.
Can’t wait to watch your trees progress, I think the Bigtooth maple has potential to make very nice bonsai. I don’t think there are many out there either, and the leaves reduce very nice as well.
thanks, that is reassuring. I also think yhey can make good bonsai, at least as good as amur maples. And they overwinter really well in my climate. Next year, when I start working on it , I will create a thread to document its progress. thanks for your help!
 
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