Knowledgebase
Japanese maple not doing well #854852
Asked November 07, 2023, 7:46 AM EST
The underside and north-facing sections of our several years old Japanese maple no longer leaf out and have brittle branches. We do not see any visible signs of disease, no mold, insects or unusual spots. We consulted several different tree books even those specializing in Japanese maples but none of them cover this issue.
Orange County North Carolina
Expert Response
Maureen
I suggest you soil sample around the dripline of the tree now. Sampling is free up to through Thanksgiving.
Then, wait until spring when the tree starts to leaf out. Give me a call on my cell:<personal data hidden>
Remind me that we spoke in the fall and ask me to come out and assess your tree.
respectfully,
Mart Bumgarner
OC Cooperative Extension Agent, Crops and Horticulture
Those injuries look pretty bad. The second photo where you see the 'dead' wood and rounded bark is where the tree is healing. That is an old injury. I am not sure the damage is deer. I would expect to see more damage in the canopy if it were deer damage.
I suspect the first and last image are where the tree was damaged this year.
Adding wire will certainly help if it is deer, but I suspect the damage may be disease instead of deer.
Can you confirm the damage was not there one day and appeared fresh and new the next (indicating it is deer). There are some diseases (Canker disease) which is fungal. To me it looks a bit like a canker. You are there on site and better to judge.
Or better yet, it could be the old bark is just sluffing off. When I zoom in, it looks like bark under the outside layer suggesting the bark is ok underneath.
Give me a call and schedule an appointment for a site visit. I'll come take a look if you like. <personal data hidden>.
Mart Bumgarner
Sounds good.