Cut back a maple... top fizzled out

[Swill]

I cut back a Japanese maple this spring and repotted it. The top started to grow some leaves but they died off. I don't think the wood is totally dead. Maybe I should have pruned that side branch with all the leaves more aggressively? I was just going to let it grow and recover but is there any chance some branch tipping might save the top?
Here are three pics of what it looks like now:






Here is what it looked like before the hard pruning:

 

[edprocoat]

Swill what are the blackish looking areas on the trunk and branches of the tree, I would worry about those as it may be a sign of fungus or canker etc. Do not mess with it anymore this year. I would not worry about losing the top, that tree really needed to be chopped way lower to get a decent transition from the chop. Although its not a real bad looking graft you may eventually want to layer the grafted area from the tree too.

ed

 

[garywood]

Swill, generally, Pseudomonas s. manifest itself in spring after infection during winter or early spring. Verticillium is usually a warmer weather problem. The darker color on the stems and trunk is typical of Pseudomonas infection. I've stopped pruning maples while dormant to avoid this problem unless tools and soil are sanitized and have a controlled environment.

 

[GrimLore]

Cut off what looks dead and SEAL the wounds. Myself I would strongly recommend sealing old cuts as well. If it is pseudomonas syringae unlike me you have a chance to save it. Seems to me your cuts were done after you had foliage or?

Grimmy

 

[Swill]

After googling Pseudomonas and looking at some photos it doesn't really look like that to me. I don't really see much black. They are linked images if it helps for a closer look (sorry if you already did). I was thinking the tree seemed pretty healthy below where it died back to.

The cuts were done just a bit before foliage.

 

[sorce]

ed

Haven't seen you in a while feller!
Welcome back!

Sorce