Question
Maple leaves
We have four different types of maples; October glory, red maple, Japanese red, Japanese green(can't remember name). All summer long these trees appear healthy, lush and beautiful. When summer is fading out and fall weather begins they all (except for the red Jap.) turn a blah, sickly yellow with brown spots and then drop their leaves very quickly. The red Jap. turns brown and drops. None of them develop nice fall coloring, they just look sickly and drop their leaves much sooner than the other maples in the area. We have been so disappointed over our lack of fall display. We hope you can help us. The trees are all five to eight years old and we live in eastern Oklahoma zone 7. I have attached pics. Thanks so much for your time.
AnswerIt could be the difference in the amount of sunlight they are getting. Maples in semi shade will turn sooner then the ones in full sunlight. Also the amount of nitrogen available in the soil can cause the leaves to not produce the chlophyll that they may normally produce to get a longer lasting green leaf. The green pigment is strongest when the tree is producing chlophyll during photosynthesis. When the tree stops growing to preserve it's energy the chlophyll content drops off and the latent colors become evident.
I would fertilize the tree with 10-10-10 fertilizer at the rate of 1 lb of fertilizer per 1 inch of trunk diameter scattered around the tree and watered in good. Do this in the spring and again in middle summer.
There may be some minor elements that are needed also so if you want to get a good analysis of your soil and the tree needs you can contact the local office of the Cooperative Extension Service and ask for a soil testing kit. This is sent into a soil lab and for a fee they will tell you what the tree need. Make sure that on the form you say the "crop" is a Maple trees in a yard. It maybe fertilizer and/or the Ph of the soil they will tell you.
The number should be in your local phone book. Here is a web link to their contact page. http://countyext2.okstate.edu/
