My shirasawanum aureum is in terrible shape. I was given it this Spring and it has done well till the past couple weeks. The other JM's show no similar sign, but are in the ground rather than pots. Is it a fusarium ? can anything be done to save it ? I would really appreciate some help as the tree has a lot of sentimental value.
Need more jpegs of branch area down to the base of trunk and close up of trunk..Looks like too much sun and too little water even though the pot soil may be wet the root ball may not be...and comparing the full moon maple to other JM's is like comparing Jack the Ripper to your local 12 tear old chewing gum shop lifter... this is not a tree for beginners or the faint of heart... to much sun it becomes a crispy critter to little water it looks horrible too much shade no color too much water will kill it faster than 30 degree temps in July...Basically needs perfect enviorment and it's been a hot hot summer out there from what I understand...If no black areas or large dead areas it should be ok next spring and if you learn how to care for it it may make it but i wouldn't bet on it ...sellers love it cause they can resell it over and over blaming the buyer when it is just a finiky tree period ..David
This message was edited Sep 25, 2007 7:19 PM
The plant has been on the North side of my house out of direct sun and this was not a particularly hot summer in our area. I can't speak with any accuracy as to the watering. Some rain and some hand watering, but neither soggy or sere as far as I can recall. Checking the base closely has shown something ominous.
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This message was edited Sep 25, 2007 7:05 PM
There are alot of healthy buds but there are some black areas on a few brancettes from the photos ( I think it's hard to tell ) That is a sign of psuedonomous and the trunk obviously looks infected...It does not look good and that is why I should not have posted w/o looking at more jpegs... You could treat it with fungicide ...but it does not look good having that much of the root flare already damaged... Maybe others will have some ideas but I would not be overly hopeful .... it would be hard enough for a easy to grow tree to survive that IMHO. ( OH BTW I thought you were in VA NOT WA thus my comment on the weather ...WA ...or at least some of it is good JM weather / climate and in the right location I have seen nice specimens of your tree)...In VA ...well thats another story .. david
Thank you David.
I will give it a shot of fungicide. May also take it back to the nursery to see what they say. Their one question so far was a query as to my watering methods. Time will tell.
I would say it's possible after seeing the base it may be the opposite of my half you know what opinion before seeing the base ...possibly too much water and root rot but I doubt that too i would say , as with some west coast nursery grown JMs including the A.S Aureum and A.S autumn moon it was likely there whern you got it Psuedonomous...if they have a gurantee I would see if they will replace it.. But I am not an expert but this seems likely ..David
Thank you Dave. I have contacted the nursery and will be taking it back to them for "repair or replacement".
Sorry about your tree. The trunk does look dire. Hopefully the nursery will take care of you.
I have to say I'm no expert on diseases either, but I would definetely say it is either a form of root rot like phytophthora ( http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3029.html ) or psuedomonas ( http://plantpathology.tamu.edu/Texlab/Fruit/Peach/peachbc.html ). Since there appears to be root damage it makes me think it is a root rot fungus, but as I said I'm no expert.
There does appear to be some healthy tissue at the base, although I would still contact the nursery for a replacement.
If that isn't possible, Alliette ( http://www.bayercropscienceus.com/products/view:aliette/ ) is probably the best fungicide for controlling phytophthora and a few other root rot fungi, but a copper fungicide would be better if it is psuedomonas.
I have some Microcop fungicide to use on it. I took it to the Nursery today and they looked at it and said it was "normal" for the Shirasawanum aureum to have leaves dry up like that. They showed me a couple in the shade house that were doing the same thing. Can't say I buy it altogether, but they grow them in this region so I'll wait and see what happens.
If it doesn't survive the Winter sitting in a big ceramic urn I'll pick up another one in the Spring, hopefully at the Nursery's expense.
I wouldn't disagree with their analysis I said in the first post they are not easy trees to grow... and must be placed perfectly I am a bit surprised they would do that in a shade house but maybe their watering methods are not perfect especially if they are in with many other JM's that need much less attention...They likely dfon't sell many this time of year if they look like that!!!!....BUT that doesn't explain the trunk ...I have a Seiyru that has it ( Pseudonomous)...it happens in wet humid spring weather and mine IS NOT on the root stock like yours it's on the cultivar...It is black and as the summer goes on it dries out and bleaches gry to white and the bark defoliates ...once it does so all the way around the tree is toast... mine has not done that just on one side but it really got worse from the stress of the spring freeze and wet spring weather... it looked cured last winter and except for continueing bark defoliation it looks gone now... i used all purpose fruit tree spray with captain all last summer and it helped .but I expect it back next spring. IF that is what it is maybe you can whip it but don't hold your breath IF that is what it is... it is in the worst place on your tree... I do think they may be right on the leaves they "may" even be unrelated but the trunk is really troublesome to me !!! David
I think now it is just a 'wait and see' situation. I'll give it a spray, find a protected spot and hope for the best.
