Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Acer looks like it’s dying on one side.

Tink11Tink11 Posts: 3
in Problem solving
My mom gave me an acer that was getting too big for the pot that it was in and she couldn’t fit it in her garden. We have planted it in our garden and it looks like it’s dying on the one side. I’m watering it and giving it miracle grow (I’ve only just started gardening). Please could you give me any advice on how to help it?

Any advice gratefully received, many thanks 

Posts

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    Hello Tink. Welcome to the forum. Firstly, stop feeding it as this will do more harm than good when a plant is trying to establish itself but make sure that you keep it watered. The branch which is struggling seems to have split at the bottom when I  blow the picture up. This does not bode well for that part of your tree. Is the more upright limb still properly attached. Even if it is damaged, that bit might still survive. The close up pictures suggest to me that it would be better to remove the dead branch as the black areas don't look good at all and if it due to disease, you might risk losing all the tree. Is any of the new growth on the branch with the dead leaves? Don't go out and chop it immediately,  you might get different advice. 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Looks very much like it has Verticillium wilt affecting a large part of that tree. I am afraid that is likely to prove fatal.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd agree - that doesn't look good at all. Even cutting off everything that's damaged, it will look awful, and unlikely to respond.
    It's not easy to transplant mature specimens, and it looks as if it's been buried too, which won't have helped. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Tink11Tink11 Posts: 3
    Thank you so much for all your comments and for taking the time to reply. Yes the branch is still fully attached Joy but no new growth at all on that part. 
    Oh dear poor thing :'(, I’ve just had a quick google of verticillium wilt. Can I ask what you mean by buried.....does that mean I’ve put far to much soil around the bottom? Sorry for sounding thick but I’m on a steep learning curve and it may help me in the future :)  
    Thank you again for taking a look and offering advice.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It just looked like a lot of the main trunk was below ground level. When you plant something from a pot, the level it's at in the ground should be the same as it was in the pot  :)
    Not thick at all- we all had to learn at some point.  :)
    If it's any consolation - I doubt that's created the problem, as it's a fungal disease, but it isn't good for most shrubs, or any plants, to be planted too deep, long term. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Tink11Tink11 Posts: 3
    Fairygirl said:
    It just looked like a lot of the main trunk was below ground level. When you plant something from a pot, the level it's at in the ground should be the same as it was in the pot  :)
    Not thick at all- we all had to learn at some point.  :)
    If it's any consolation - I doubt that's created the problem, as it's a fungal disease, but it isn't good for most shrubs, or any plants, to be planted too deep, long term. 
    Ahh thank you so much, that makes sense. I’ll remember that for the future as that sounds like another tip that could save me from having problems  :)

Sign In or Register to comment.