New growth on 3 year old maple tree is discoloring and dying. Chicago

10 years ago

This happened last year about this time of year and I clipped off the
bad growth thinking it was an infection and all seemed fine. There was no other deadening of leaves after clipping. This year
I looked up more about it and some people point to a lack of phosphate?
When I planted the young tree 3 years ago I did use some root
stimulator. The past couple years including this one I put a couple
fertilizer stakes into the ground at the drip line in the spring. I
added some 10/10/10 liquid fertilizer about a week apart with no change,
only seems to have continued whatever course the leaves are on.

My question Is should I add more fertilizer? Get a different brand/strength?
I planted some hydrangeas ten feet away and they had the same issue last
year. This year I added some of the same fertilizer and they've been
great.

Around the tree we have 3 salvia plants growing. Do
you think they are sucking up the fertilizer I am putting down instead
of the tree?

Added info just in case its needed.... The area of the tree and the
hydrangea both had arbor vitae and other evergreen type hedges there for
many years. I dug them up to plant these.

thanks for any help

Featured Answer

arbordave (SE MI)

10 years ago

Looks like it might be potato leafhopper damage,

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=626

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Comments (10)

Huggorm
10 years ago
Whatever the problem is, you will not solve it with even more fertilizer. The tree is not hungry, that is not its problem.
Is the lawn around the tree treated with some kind of weed killing fertilizer?
S B
Original Author
10 years ago
yes. Last year the lawn surrounding was treated with a hose attachment weed and feed. I thought that may have contributed to it due to overspray so this year I used a dry granule weed and feed. The dry weed and feed didnt seem to do much in terms of weeds of the surrounding lawn.
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S B
Original Author
10 years ago
I threw down the dry weed and feed this year about 1.5-2 months ago
arbordave (SE MI)
10 years ago
What kind of maple? A photo of the affected leaves would help.
S B
Original Author
10 years ago
It is a Red Sunset Maple. Acer Rubrum.
I first thought about the weed and feed affecting it last year because I saw the weeds on the lawn turn purple then die off. hats why I decided to try a different weed and feed this year.

I forgot about embedding the pictures out of ease.

Here's links if it makes enlarging easier As Im unsure why they are uploading sideways
http://imgur.com/a/BAelI
http://imgur.com/a/ayeF8
S B
Original Author
10 years ago
That looks exactly like it. Thank you for the info.
Anything you recommend for remedies?
arbordave (SE MI)
10 years ago
At this point in the season you could just wait until next year, although PLH evidently has multiple generations through the summer. The link below says, "Chemical treatments targeting the initial late spring & early summer generations should help reduce the population levels of later generations ... Many treatment options are effective. One successful strategy has been the use of a pyrethroid for quick knockdown combined with a systemic neonicotinoid for longer residual controls. "

http://plant-pest-advisory.rutgers.edu/been-burned-by-leafhoppers/
S B thanked arbordave (SE MI)
laceyvail 6A, WV
10 years ago
And the tree will greatly benefit by removal of the grass to just beyond the drip line and mulching, though not right up against the trunk.
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
i have planted about 750 trees.. and conifers on my 5 acres ... on glacial sand ... [lots of minis and dwarfs]

AND NEVER FERT'D A SINGLE ONE ...

PLEASE STOP FERTG THIS TREE ..

very frankly .. your tree looks GREAT ... i never presume mother nature allows a perfect specimen ... and i would not waste time .. money.. nor exposure on treating for this rather minor blemish .. there is no way that little damage is in any way .. effecting those leaves ability to process sunshine and feed the tree [which is another reason it doesnt need fert]

bottom line.. its a tree .. treat it as such.. it is not a child.. that needs feeding.. pampering.. etc ..

and BTW ... if you fert the lawn.. this tree will get whatever it needs from that ... no need to double or triple up ...

enjoy your tree.. dont fixate on it ...

ken

ps: my theory is.. the pix are sideways.. because you turned your gizmo to portrait pix ... to take pix of the tall tree ...