leaf scorch pictures

Discussion in 'Maples' started by PoorOwner, Jul 3, 2005.

  1. PoorOwner

    PoorOwner Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Northern CA
    I took some pictures this morning showing various leaf burns.

    - The fireglow is getting it worse but some buds are starting to swell again. It gets morning and noon sun but a fence blocks the western exposure.
    - Bloodgood is in western exposure.
    - Sango Kaku got too much sun during spring.. it was out in the open.
    - Wilson's gets morning and noon sun.
    - Aureum gets burned when being stared at too hard :)

    Maple Pictures July

    I havn't done anything special to protect these plants. I am hoping as a better root system develops their ability to withstand burns will increase.

    Do maples really adapt to sun exposure as time goes by or is that simply a result of more developed root system as the plant grows?

    Is it better to give the maples more sun exposure even though some of the top growth will tend to be damaged but it will get more flushes of top and root growth in one year?

    On a couple of maples I am trying a spray called cloud cover, a latex emulsion that prevent water lost through the leaves. I have used it on other plants during transplant and to prevent powdery mildew without any side effects.

    But I am also wondering about a product called dynagrow pro-tekt, potassium silicate? I have searched and found one post about this product but nothing conclusive about whether it is good for maples or not.

    Have a great and safe July Fourth weekend everybody..

    Jeremy
     
  2. mjh1676

    mjh1676 Active Member Maple Society 10 Years

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    Location:
    Southern Oregon
    Jeremy,

    There are a number of issues that you and all of us in warmer hotter climates face. Actually, I think your trees show some of them. For the most part, the red leaved trees are just suffering the blight of not being able to supply the upper and outtermost leaves with enough moisture. I think you are seeing the effects of wind as well as sun, but the margin and leaf tip burn comes from the dehydrating hot winds.

    Bloodgood and Fireglow, Fireglow being less tolerant, will burn with direct exposure where you and I are. To the matter of them adapting, many will say plants never adapt, but the idea that the plant will be better able to supply moisture with a more established root system is true. What you might never escape it the fact that no matter what the root mass of the tree, it may never be able to meet the demands of the heat in our climates. In the ground with regular irrigation, you will see more tolerance, but you will likely lose some leaves and fall color to burn and scorch.

    The tree you are calling Aureum gives me the impression it is suffering a chemical or fertilizer burn and I feel this is in play with your other trees. It might be salts in the fertilizer or some other aspect, but I have seen the same presentation in my plants, more this year and I have been trying a little more P and K in my regimen to push some stagnating plants. So please consider that aspect also.

    For you, it will be important not to try and push new bud development or to push dormant buds to replace scorched leaves. Let the tree decide if and when to do this. That means that until you are more knowledgeable about the plants, stick with a spring application of fertilizer only. If you push the trees to hard, you may lose branches with a late season push for leaves and no chance to set buds for spring.

    Don't feel bad, I have a number of trees that look just like yours, but this year is worse than in the past and what I have done differently is a more intense fertilizer regimen. Keep that in mind. Brown and crispy is ok, black and wilted is bad...that is my incremental damage scale for fertilizer and maples.

    Michael
     

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