Knowledgebase
Catalpa showing signs of stress #814891
Asked October 22, 2022, 7:34 AM EDT
Is our Catalpa okay? It always leafs out late and then sheds early. All of the other Catalpas in the neighborhood still look beautiful.
It was planted about 5 years ago between our driveway and walkway. The area is approximately 6'x30' of mulch. We water the area, but the tree is struggling.
Could it be heat/drought stress? Possible over watering? Verticillium wilt? Iron deficiency? Do you have any suggestions on cultural practices or chemical treatments that may be needed to improve its health?
Thank you for any help that you can give me.
Adams County Colorado
Expert Response
Miquela,
I'm not seeing signs of iron deficiency or verticillium. What is your water source? Are you on well or city water? How do you irrigate the tree, drip, hose, sprinkler system etc.? Is the tree n a lawn area or mulched? The leaves do look as though there is some discoloration which could be due to salts or nutrient issues (too much or too high), so do you fertilize the area?
I could not tell from the photo what the growth intervals are, so it's hard to say if the tree is stressed.
My best guess from the images is that there is either an issue with drought (which could be due to too much or too little water) or salty water.
Final question: has it done this for numerous years in a row or is this the first?
We're not really doing site visits any more this year but we could schedule one once the tree leafs out next year.
Good luck
