If a maple maple loses its leaves unplanned, this process sets off alarm bells for the home gardener. The noble tree reacts to unsuitable conditions or diseases by shedding its leaves. You can read about the most common causes of leaf loss on Acer platanoides Globosum here.
Why is my maple tree losing its leaves?
A ball maple loses leaves due to drought stress, waterlogging, verticillium wilt, powdery mildew or tar spot disease. To remedy this, water thoroughly, avoid waterlogging or, if necessary, clear and dispose of the tree to prevent fungal infections.
Drought stress causes leaf fall – this is how you react correctly
The profile defines ball maple trees as heart-rooted trees with a predominantly flat growth of the strands in width. The roots only reach a depth of 100 cm in loose soil. The tree therefore depends on rain for an adequate water supply. When drought occurs, a maple tree sheds its leaves to reduce the rate of evaporation. This is what you need to do now:
- Water thoroughly if leaves are lost due to drought stress
- Run the water hose on the tree disc for at least 30 minutes two to three times a week
- Best time is early morning or after sunset
Watering the thirsty maple tree daily and in smaller quantities is the worse option. This watering rhythm causes the tree to form additional, shallow roots, neglecting the beneficial deep growth.
Waterlogging causes the leaves to fall
As an extreme counterpart to drought, waterlogging also causes the loss of leaves. When planting, choose a location in well-drained soil so that excess rain drains away quickly. Please stop watering in good time as soon as puddles form on the tree disc.
One-sided leaf loss leaves little room for healing chances
The bugbear among common maple diseases manifests itself in the form of wilting and falling leaves on one side of the crown. A slowly progressing process is typical for the dreaded Verticillium wilt. This is where the symptoms differ from short-term storm damage to the foliage, which closes within a short time.
Verticillium is a fungal infection that clogs the pathways in the maple tree. Since no healing methods have yet been discovered and there is a high risk of infection for neighboring trees, the affected tree should be cleared and disposed of immediately.
Tip
Leaf loss with an announcement is a fungal attack on the maple tree. If dark spots with yellow edges spread across the foliage, tar spot disease has struck. A mealy-gray coating is the classic symptom of powdery mildew. Both fungal infections cause leaf loss in the final stage.
