European Hornbeam looking unwell

[msimkins]

Hey everyone. I'm finally getting back into this hobby after probably a slightly over 20 year break..!

Anyway, I was away for about a week, and when I returned my little European Hornbeam was looking noticeably unwell. I've looked around online, and couldn't find anything that looked exactly like what I see here.

On the 13th May, looking healthy (don't have a better photo at this time, sorry)


On the 28th May, looking much less healthy.



Does anyone have any ideas what this is, and a possible treatment? Thanks.

 

[Jrmcmich]

Looks like fungal thing going on? Was it repotted recently? Just wondering how was watering handled while away as well? Hopefully it pulls through as it has interesting trunk. Sure others here will have better insight and some good suggestions.

 

[JudyB]

Hi, Can you give us any information as to any insults such as repotting recently? I might have to go with a fungal infection or too much sun maybe. Can't see if the soil is substrate or a mix of organics as well, but also maybe it is too wet.

 

[JudyB]

Looks like fungal thing going on? Was it repotted recently? Just wondering how was watering handled while away as well? Hopefully it pulls through as it has interesting trunk. Sure others here will have better insight and some good suggestions.

LOL jinx.... typing the same thing at the same time...

 

[msimkins]

I was thinking fungal too, but I'm very new to all this. I did have an automatic watering system set up, 2 minutes every 6pm, so it's possible it was overwatered in the 6 days I was away (as I'm sure it rained too). It's small but it is a nice little tree, yes

 

[msimkins]

Ah yes, repotting - so no, I bought it from a bonsai nursery on the 13th April, already in that pot, and already in full leaf. Given the reasonable looseness of the soil, I guessed it was repotted reasonably recently, so I've not taken it out to look. The soil seems decent quality as far as I can tell, and drains quite freely, but it could be too wet after some automated watering while I was away, and rain.

All I've done since buying it is very minor pruning, and some minor wiring of a couple of branches.

(now that I'm home for a while, I've disconnected the auto-watering system so I'll do it manually when required from now on)

 

[JudyB]

Is the tree wired into the pot well? If it has been recently repotted, and is loose in the pot, the wind could be moving it around and messing with new roots. I would give a spray of daconil in case it is fungal.

 

[msimkins]

I've just fiddled with it, and it's wired in really securely. It does seem to be pointing in the fungal direction, but I'm glad someone hasn't immediately identified it as something horrific.

The last 6 days have been pretty mid-temperature, grey, and damp. Perhaps a bit cooler and wetter than it should be, but no extremes.

 

[rockm]

Hard to tell, might be fungal, but the damage on the leaves is widespread and uniform. I'd say sun damage, with possible assist by drying out or overwatering (symptoms for both can be similar).

 

[Jrmcmich]

I have had fungal issues with some maples this spring. Just got some spray for fungicide and also a systemic granule to use on mine. I did try to remove many of the leafs affected as well but not sure if that’s advisable or not especially with so many affected.

 

[JudyB]

I have had fungal issues with some maples this spring. Just got some spray for fungicide and also a systemic granule to use on mine. I did try to remove many of the leafs affected as well but not sure if that’s advisable or not especially with so many affected.

If your tree is healthy, or was before the fungus, it will be fine to remove leaves, as it'll just be as if you did a partial defoliation, which maples that are healthy have no problem with.

 

[msimkins]

Hard to tell, might be fungal, but the damage on the leaves is widespread and uniform. I'd say sun damage, with possible assist by drying out or overwatering (symptoms for both can be similar).

I've just popped out to two local garden centres and picked up some fungicide (and a little potentilla that had a nice trunk, couldn't help myself..!), given it a spray, and now put it behind a partial sun shade. It's not particularly sunny right now but I'll see how it responds. It could be a combination of multiple things, with overwatering being a distinct possibility (scheduled watering while I was away, plus rain), so I'll hold off any further watering until it's actually dry.

I'll post an update if there's any developments. Thanks again everyone .

 

[msimkins]

As promised here's an update on my little hornbeam.



I don't know if it was the two treatments of fungicide, or watering properly (or both), but it seems to be responding well. The damaged leaves haven't recovered but I didn't expect them to (only hoped), and I've done a tiny bit of strategic leaf-pruning when necessary to give the new shoots space and light to grow. Some of the damaged leaves also fall off naturally too.

I'll let the new shoots grow to strengthen the tree, so it's a bit untidy at the moment, but its health is more important. But I've since taken the tip off the apex, as it's getting a bit long..!

Once I'm confident there's enough new growth (which may be soon), I might just remove all the remaining damaged leaves. Once there's enough internal growth, only then I'll give it a little tidy.

I'm happy it's recovering well, thanks for your help

 

[rockm]

As promised here's an update on my little hornbeam.

View attachment 554759View attachment 554760

I don't know if it was the two treatments of fungicide, or watering properly (or both), but it seems to be responding well. The damaged leaves haven't recovered but I didn't expect them to (only hoped), and I've done a tiny bit of strategic leaf-pruning when necessary to give the new shoots space and light to grow. Some of the damaged leaves also fall off naturally too.

I'll let the new shoots grow to strengthen the tree, so it's a bit untidy at the moment, but its health is more important. But I've since taken the tip off the apex, as it's getting a bit long..!

Once I'm confident there's enough new growth (which may be soon), I might just remove all the remaining damaged leaves. Once there's enough internal growth, only then I'll give it a little tidy.

I'm happy it's recovering well, thanks for your help

Let the damaged leaves alone. The tree will replace them. If you remove them, you risk removing resting buds at the base of the old leaves. Also damaged leaves don't "recover." They're damaged for as long as they're on the tree. The tree replaces them and doesn't repair them.

Also, what is the sun exposure for this tree? Looks like it get a lot of sun. In nature, Hornbeam are understory trees, happiest in dappled shade all the time growing underneath larger forest trees. Full sun can fry them.

 

[msimkins]

Noted, thanks - I'll wait for it to shed the damaged leaves naturally. I only cut off a few that were directly interfering with new growth, so not many!

As for the sun exposure, I just so happened to take the photo on a sunny day, and I moved the tree to that position. That part of the garden only gets direct sunlight from late morning to early evening during the summer, and being in the UK, we don't often get blisteringly sunny days..! But thanks for your advice, I'll make sure it gets some shade on those rare wall-to-wall sunny days we do get. I don't have many opportunities for dappled shade in my garden, so unfortunately I have to artificially create it. (I hope to move house at some point in the next couple of years to one with a much better garden..!)