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Acer stems turned black this year
bjbewick
Posts: 2
Any advice would be greatly appreciated on what this blackening on the stems of my acer is!
It was fine last year but now the stems of certain branches are black and the leaves don't look like they are developing.
Many thanks!
0
Posts
There was a post last year about this very thing so I have copied it below for you:
http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/thread/?threadId=930247
That looks like acer palmatum 'Senkaki' or 'Sango-kaku'. It seems more prone than others - it's verticilium wilt, I think, looking at that. Did the leaves on those stems drop early, or wither early last year?
H-C
you're not alone bjbewick
My lovely acer Katsura was also diagnosed by H-C as having wilt a couple of weeks back. Some branches are in leaf now, others are struggling. I'm gutted as I have another acer on the other side of the garden and they looked lovely as a pair, but I guess I'll have to replace it it with something not susceptible
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Thank you so much for your responses - will try lopping off the affected branches and see how it goes!
I hope you can find a solution, my coral bark is becoming my pride of the garden would be devastated to lose it.
I think the key is to keep your tree healthy.
I know mine does get dry in summer as we get little rain and I guess it's been stressed and the wilt has taken advantage.
I've given the whole area a thick mulching and will give mine lots of tlc and water, and see how it looks later in the year, but I'm not hopeful for the long term.
The RHS site suggests grassing over the area for 15 years.... I'll be 75!
Last edited: 30 March 2017 20:51:23
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Sorry to hijack this thread but rather than creating a new one I thought this was more appropriate.....
So it looks like I may have tempted fate with my previous message on this very thread as I have discovered some rather worrying black outer bark which is located from the trunk. Is anyone on here able to confirm whether I have anything to worry about or is this just the bark changing colour again. This is a Sango Kaku variety and my personal favourite shrub in the garden. I would be devasted to lose it.
Any thoughts or advice would be welcome.
Thanks, Steve
Sorry to say Steve, it does look rather like mine which is not performing well this year. I've cut back quite a bit, but even stems with no black marks are not growing well. Sadly I think I'll have to replace it later in the year.
At least your looks quite healthy
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Yeah I feel I may be I but trouble with this one? I have grown this acer since it was very small and up until now it hasn't thrived. I removed a couple of the lower branches on the trunk this winter so wonder whether this is where I have introduced any problem.
I don't know how the infection takes hold, but I think in my case is down to drought-induced stress. It's been so dry here for the last few years and we've had no proper rain since June last year.
Neighbours have also lost well established shrubs.
I've got a huge rododendron that is dying back year on year and a beautiful Elaeagnus silverleaf that's almost dead.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.