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robert_pinkowski

Autumn blaze maple struggling

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

I have planted two autumn blaze maple trees and both made it just fine through a long drought in Iowa, a pretty long wet season and as things have leveled out both have started turning yellow( the leaves) and have dark spots on them. Any suggestions to what it may be? The soil is probably 70/30 in favor of more clay, however the hole that was dug for both trees is good topsoil with compost mixed in. The ph of the soil is right at 7 and most of the time the soil can go without watering and stay quite wet. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated





Comments (2)

  • 8 years ago

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    They're shutting down for the year already, look a little droopy - as though the soil has actually gotten on the dry side. Poke around in the original soil balls as well as the planting hole back-fill to check soil moisture below the surface, make sure they are not in fact too dry (or too wet).

    >the hole that was dug for both trees is good topsoil with compost mixed in<

    This long ago dis-proven method - which should no longer be recommended or specified by Extension sources, garden centers or landscape architects, who should all know better by now - often produces soil moisture issues within the planting hole. This is due to a difference having been created between soil textures within the modified planting hole and the original unaltered soil around the planting hole. Resulting in undesirable effects on how water enters and exits the pocket of amended or replaced soil. Where the planting hole back-fill is significantly more coarse than the soil around the hole, general moisture conditions are normal there can be a chronic problem with excessive drainage and dryness - due to the finer texture of the natural soil around the hole having a greater attraction for water. Otherwise where there is a high water table amended planting holes can act as sumps, collecting and retaining water from the surrounding soil.

    When an intact field- or potting soil root-ball is present at time of planting in an amended or replaced soil within a larger area of unmodified natural soil then newly planting stock may have to survive three different areas of soil textures in order to establish and progress. Plants not in excellent condition at time of planting may even decline and die when placed in pockets of different soils which are shedding or collecting water.