I have two red (I think) Maples in Memphis. They both have leaves that are yellowing and falling off. This seems to be occurring more towards the top and end of branches. It's kind of a patchy yellowing with some small orange patches on the leaves. They get full sun. My Bermuda lawn is full, but bare under the trees in the downhill direction. Ideas?
That kind of spotting sure suggests something is going on.
Can you detach several leaves and get better pictures:
Leaves that are just starting to show this, and more advanced.
Top and bottom of the leaves.
An overall picture of the tree may help with ID.
As for why the lawn is dying near this tree- look into surface roots. Most Maples are very greedy, and so is Bermuda Grass. I dunno which would win out, but seems like the Maple is in parts of your yard.
Pictures of this area might help, too.
Check the soil for moisture.
Stick a freshly sharpened pencil or screwdriver into the soil right before you would normally water.
a) Can't even get the screwdriver in: You have hit a root, or the soil is too dry
b) Pencil shows dry wood on the sharpened part, but it goes into the soil OK.: Probably just right, but ready for water.
c) Pencil shows wet wood, even just an inch or two down. : Too wet.
Attached are several photos of leaves in various stages of the issue. The worst looking leaf is the same leaf I photographed yesterday in the original post (it was still--barely--hanging on). There are certainly several surface roots and the soil is dusty-dry. the screwdriver went into the soil, but not because of moisture, but because we have a sandy/dusty soil here. We have had two to three weeks with 95-100 degree temperatures and no rain for about a 3 weeks. There was one big rain then, and it was about 2 weeks of no rain before that (though unseasonably cool, 80-85). My first guesses would be lack of water or nutrients. But I need to know what nutrient or if its a disease. We also have a lawn service fertilize our lawn. The bare grass spots are significantly larger than they were last year.
The rest of the pictures...
Phyllosticta minima is one fungus that seems to show up later in the season, rather than early spring (when so many others show up). It seems to be black spots, but with a yellow halo around them. I am not seeing that halo so much. Any fungus that shows up so late does not do a lot of damage to the tree. The tree is already thinking about going dormant, and is starting to recycle the nutrients in these leaves. You could see if it is a fungus by spraying some of the foliage that does not show any signs and see if it develops. Maybe have to wait until next year and spray earlier.
Just black spots.
Fly poop looks like just black spots, but does not kill the leaf.
Dry area of the lawn:
Are there sprinklers? When you water the lawn is this area getting as much as the other areas?
I agree with Diana and would also add that the lawn under the tree's is fighting with the tree
a) for light
b ) for moisture
c ) there is every possibility that IF there is disease, it is falling onto the lawn.
Most tree diseases dont really do any harm to other plants (like lawns or flowers) BUT if the lawn is NOT growing to full health, anything can cause it to grow weaker as the season goes on towards winter.
I would make a good guess that the lawn requires more watering, to get this you could spike the whole area with the garden fork and try stick the fork into the lawn about 4-6 inches deep and about 6-8 inches apart, after you have done that (then had a lie down LOL) lay the hose pipe on the lawn and absolutely soak that area untill you know the under soil is spongey, do the test Diana mentioned by using a garden cane, pencil or whatever will show damp or wet soil when removed from the under soil. Once the lawn has had several soaking over several weeks, I would than add an Autumn week / feed, this will give the roots a good feed slowly over the autumn giving the lawn a new energy for the next spring.
An easier way to get air into the roots is to hire one of those machines, they look just like a lawnmower and are either petrol or electric, they do the job in about 2 hours (good sized lawn) and it saves a lot of aching limbs and back. compost the lawn scrapings if any come out with the machine as some machines do a top rake as well as making small air holes into the turf.
As for the tree, I also agree it will be getting ready for the autumn sleep till next spring BUT it's health will still be a problem, it would be better IF you could get a proper diagnose of the problem, maybe you have an office in your area that deals with that sort of thing, I cant remember what you folks call this department but they appear to be very helpful according to other on the site.
I feel the tree MUST also be suffering lack of moisture and maybe it will be a good idea to remove the lawn from under the tree root spread, this will give the tree a better chance of capturing rain fall AND water from your hose or sprinklers. I dont know your zone BUT, would imagine it can get blistering hot for many days at a time in summer and the trees will be suffering a dose of drought, prolonged periods of that type of temp and dryness sends the tree's into premature leaf fall and also weaken's the trees health allowing any form of diseases to take hold, Normally healthy tree's / shrubs can fight off any diseases but when weakened by lack of moisture it's hard for the tree to support all that heavy top growth AND prevent the leaves going dry, brittle and falling well before the real autumn has took hold.
Warning, IF or when you use any lawn weed//fedd, do not spread on a day when there is any breeze or wind, you DONT want other plants or even tree's to have dontact, it is what it says on the packet, WEED KILLER, so it cant teel flower from weeds, it only knows it wont kill GRASS But any other plant / tree it touches can be killed or damaged badly with contact, these weed /feeds are perfectly safe IF you take care and use common sence, there are proper spreaders that you can buy very cheeply for this purpose AND they can be set to drop the correct amount of stuff required for the lawn, they spread JUST above ground level making it difficult to cause damage elsewhere so maybe worth the extra few dollars OR as before mentioned, most hire comapnies will let you hire for a day or more costing very little and you wont over dose as this could kill the lawn too.
Hope this gives you some food for thought and you can get the problems sorted out as soon as possible or you will find next year the problem has multiplied.
Best of luck and Best Regards.
WeeNel.
Several groups may be helpful, to properly ID the problem.
Department of Agriculture.
The nearest university that has any sort of horticulture or agriculture program. They might run an extension service, and have people skilled in the local diseases of plants.
A nursery with certified nursery people
Master Gardener Program (has not been as helpful to me as the first 2)
