Please see picture.
This j. maple has been planted in my yard for 3 years. Was growing just fine and was about to put out leaves when I noticed the other day that the leaves were all dead.
Then I noticed the red like runny sap with holes at the base of the j. maple tree.
What is this? An insect?
I lost another maple tree last year, was in a different spot, due to the leaves about to come out and then they were dead and the tree died.
Thanks, Carol
A another picture.
More of the whole trunk/base of the tree with the damage.
Please! Does anyone know what this is and what I can do in the future if I get another j. maple tree to prevent this happening again???
Have a big hole in the nice flower bed where this tree was so...........would like to replace it someday.
Borers can cause leaves to drop (there are many species iirc), and the holes sure look like borer damage. From what I understand, borers typically don't attack unless the tree is already stressed, and can finish an already stressed tree off. Stress can be from drought, flood, physical damage (esp. to the roots from machinery or shovels what have you), harsh winter, wrong soil, etc. Some people plop a tree right into the ground from a pot - did you do that or did you carefully break up the root ball and spread the roots out? If you plop, the roots can just end up circling themselves over and over until the tree is weakened and stressed and then the borers can come to finish it off. Do you keep them watered evenly during the growing season? I have heard that borers can defoliate a tree but that it can recover. Are you sure it's dead dead (scratch some bark, look for green)?
Trying to think of all I can...
Good luck,
Ellie
Hey, thanks for your response.
As for your questions,
I always loosen up the roots when they are out of a pot. I like to get the roots loose and up and running to grow.
The tree had some very nice, long roots for sure. I pulled out like 3-4' of roots where it had been planted. So it had been very happy.
It got good water since I have a drip system.
But we had an unusual cold, freezing winter here and it is on top of the mound so maybe it just got too cold for it. I did mulch up around the tree but not too close either.
No, it is very dead and branches break off so nicely! Darn!
Do these borers attack other plants/trees then? Do I have to worry about other things dying then???
I would guess borers too. But you might want to post over on the Japanese Maple forum for more specific advice about growing Japanese Maples and how to keep this from happening again.
