Dried leaves on the Japanese maple not only look unsightly, but are usually a sign of a disease attack on the plant. We explain what exactly is the reason for dried leaves and shoots and what can help.
Why does a Japanese maple dry out and what can you do about it?
If a Japanese maple tree dries up, the fungal disease Verticillium wilt is usually responsible. To save the plant, you should dig it up, cut back the roots and crown, and replant it in a new location with fresh soil.
Why does the Japanese maple dry out?
In most cases,Verticillium wiltis to blame when a Japanese maple planted out in the garden or as a container plant shows dried leaves. Together with this diagram on the plant, withered shoots often appear. If the Acer palmatum is provided with the right water and it is not in a location that is too hot, it is almost certainly affected by this disease, which must be combated as quickly as possible should be.
What is the clinical picture of verticillium wilt?
First you can noticedead leaf edges, then all the leaves on the Japanese maple quickly dry up and the shoots also wither. This process usually continues from bottom to top and affects theentire plant The more the fungus that causes it spreads, the faster the Japanese maple dries out and ultimately dies. The reason for this is that due to the fungal attack of this viral infection, the roots can no longer supply the plant with sufficient water and nutrients.
What can you do about dried leaves and shoots?
Therapid control of verticillium wilt is the only way to save a dry tree. The following steps are necessary:
- dig up the infected tree
- Pruning roots and tree crown
- Transplant the Japanese maple, be sure to use fresh soil
It is important not to throw the cut roots and cuttings from the wood into the compost, but rather to dispose of them with household waste. Otherwise the fungal spores can spread unhindered throughout the garden. Disinfecting the scissors is also strongly recommended.
Can a dried-out Japanese maple definitely be saved?
Unfortunately, a dried-out Japanese maple cannot alwaysbe saved. If the wilt disease is already advanced, it often means the death of the hardy tree.
Are there chemical remedies for dry leaves?
So far there isno effective fungicide when Japanese maple dries up. This is because the fungus is so well protected in the wood of the tree that no chemical agent can fight it there and it continues to harm the plant.
Tip
Other causes also possible
In some cases, the drying out of a Japanese maple is also the result of the soil being too dry or being too hot (“sunburn”). Furthermore, too much water or waterlogging can also lead to the damage. So before you fight a possible wilt disease, the wrong water supply and the wrong location should be ruled out as the cause of the drying out.
