Struggling Acer

aaronbirch · August 2022

I have a Sumonagashi Japanese Acer in my garden which has been happy for the last 5 years since it was planted. At the end of last summer there was some sudden browning of leaves and the start of branch die back.

We tentatively cut back the dead branches and have waited to see how it did this year. The die back has continued and there has been recent browning of leaves. Although I suspect this is partly down to the recent heat, some branches have lost nearly all the leaves.

I suspected verticillium wilt at first, although there were none of the black rings I read about. More recently I’ve thought perhaps it is root rot due to overwatering (we have an irrigation system).

Bottom line, I don’t know for sure what it is and what I can do about it. It’s a beautiful tree in a prominent location so I’d be gutted to lose it. There’s a fatsia and other grasses at the base which seem to be doing okay, but other plants have struggled and died off in the immediate vicinity of the Acer trunk in the past.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Do I need to get it inspected? Or get the soil tested? Or expose the roots to check for rot?

Thanks.

Uff · August 2022

I suspect it isn't getting enough water. There's a lot of other under planting there to compete for water and sustenance and as the tree has grown it needs more water not less. There is decking, paving and a seat keeping rain water from reaching the plants too.
I suggest that you check how much water it's actually getting from the irrigation before you do anything else.

Struggling Acer

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