Poor Sickly Amur Maple Tree

16 years ago

Spring is coming and I want to be prepared.

We planted an Amur Maple last year. It's 5-6 feet high. We have clay soil so we added compost to the hole with the original soil.

As time went on, the leaves started to turn yellow, then brown and crispy. This happened long before fall.

Someone suggested iron chlorosis, and that I should give it iron chelate.

If I give the tree the iron, and it doesn't have chlorosis, will I do it further harm? Should I wait to see what happens in the spring before I add anything? Could it have just been shocked after being taken out of a pot that it had been in for so long? I really like the leaves and the fall color of this type of tree, so I don't want it to die because of my lack of knowledge and TLC.

Any thoughts?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

don555
16 years ago
I highly doubt iron chlorosis. I'd wait to see what happens this spring, it probably just had transplant shock and dropped its leaves. Those things grow like weeds (I've got over a dozen of them, chopping some out this spring) so I'd be very surprised if it's dead. Most nurseries guarantee zone-hardy plants for a year, so you could probably get a refund if it in fact died.
joespider
16 years ago
Give it a shot of fertilizer in the spring and it should be fine. I always plant with bone meal. If it dies the plant would still be guaranteed by the nursery.
Related Professionals
Somerset Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Asheville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Brooklyn Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Riverside Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Everett Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Gainesville Landscape Contractors · Binghamton Landscape Contractors · Brattleboro Landscape Contractors · Elizabethtown Basement Remodeling · College Station Basement Remodeling · Des Moines Basement Remodeling · Bemidji Basement Remodeling · Los Angeles Basement Remodeling · San Luis Obispo Basement Remodeling · Wenatchee Basement Remodeling
denidill
16 years ago
hi,
Nutsaboutflowers, did you find any more information? I also have an Amur Maple and it is about 10 years old. Over the last few years it has developed problems. Blackened leaves, very yellow or light in color. About 1/4 of the leaves dropped last year. I am going to check at the garden centre before it leafs out to see what I can do. I did spray it with iron chelate last fall as this is what I suspected would help. Maybe it worked? I hope I didn't injure the tree, but through my research it appears to be anemia which is common for this tree.
nutsaboutflowers
Original Author
16 years ago
Denidill:

I've done some reading, and although my problem could be transplant shock or lack of fertilizer as suggested by others here, I'm pretty sure now it's lack of iron. I'm going to give it iron chelate 1-2 inches below the soil and water it well, as soon as the ground can be worked.That apparently works better longer term than spraying the leaves. If that doesn't help, I have until August to return it for a refund.

From what I've read, your tree would be happier with iron chelate in the soil if that's it's problem. It's supposed to help for 1-2 years.

Good luck to both of us =:)
nutsaboutflowers
Original Author
16 years ago
I checked my tree yesterday and it's getting fresh new buds.

At least it's still alive =:)

Is it too early to give it iron and/or fertilizer? We may get bits of cold and/or snow still.
denidill
16 years ago
I'm waiting until the leaves just start to come out and then I'm zapping it again with iron. I phoned a garden show and was told it is getting too much water from sitting in my poor draining clay soil. A garden lecture suggested it was anemic due to lack of nutrients from the heavy clay soil. So I'm cutting back the watering AND giving it fertilizer/iron. If it does not improve this year, I am thinking I will take it out. It really looked awful last summer.