Red Pointe Maple sunscald?
This issue has me a little baffled. I'm zone 6, central Indiana. I have a Red Pointe Maple, planted September 2019...so approaching 4 years now. It was about a 6 foot tree, 20 gallon pot. I've planted plenty of trees...so yes, any circling roots were taken care of and straightened out. I have clayish soil, so I plant the flare about 10-12 above grade. Properly watered the first 2 years, watered during dry spells the 3rd year, and left on it's own this 4th year. It feels properly rooted, no looseness or rocking in the soil like if it had root issues. Last fall, right before the leaves turned, I noticed 2 branches had died, and I saw the beginnings of this large depression in the upper trunk. This spring at bud break, 3 more branches didn't leaf out and subsequently died. I snipped the dead off when it was obviously dead. I left the tree to it's own devices this summer to see how it worked out. Just recently, when the outline of this dead spot was obvious and the bark beginning to crack, I carefully chipped away the dead bark until I got to live tissue...to see how big the spot was. There is tissue growing and swelling at the outline, beginning to callous over...but it has a long way to go. This spot is actually on the southeast side of the tree...and more towards the east. As you can see, the first 4 feet of trunk look great, and has increased in girth quite a bit since it was planted. It's grown as expected, and this year has put on at least 1.5-2' of growth. What looks like severe sunscald from winter injury is baffling me because it is so high on the tree and on the east side. What else might cause this? When I trimmed the dead branches off in the spring, I stripped the bark off looking for signs of verticillium wilt, didn't see anything unusual...and the way this has happened doesn't seem like the way verticillium happens.
I have another Red Pointe planted in the yard, from the same nursery and planted the same day...and it is growing great. This one is in a prime spot in my side yard...so I'm debating whether it has a chance to close off the damage and grow properly or if I should pull the plug later this fall. I hate giving up 4 years of root and trunk growth...but like I said, it's a prime spot in the yard. Thoughts?
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- 3 years ago
Ken,
Not sure if that was me you're referring to or not...I did post a few years ago about a failing old redbud on a large berm out near the road. It's long gone now unfortunately.
I was out doing some more investigative work with my pocket knife today. With a ladder I was able to trace the wound farther up the tree. It almost goes to the very top of the leader. For reference, the tree is about 12' tall. So starting at about 4' from the ground, it's a continuous wound over 6' long, zigzagging around some limbs. In the pic below, the red line is the approximate start and end point. The dead area is half the circumference of the trunk...towards the top it's about 1/3 the circumference. All of this on the east side of the tree.
At this point, I'm just in research mode. The tree will be removed here soon, in preparation for a fall planting of something else. Is there any disease that would cause such a large percentage of the main trunk and leader to die, and then begin to try to encapsulate the damage? I do plan to plant in the same spot.
I will do a good autopsy of the tree when it comes out...cut some cross sections through the damage...wash away the soil and take a good look at the roots.
Joe WilliamsOriginal Author