Verticillium wilt

[August44]

I have a large Autumn Blaze maple in my front yard that is 20-25 years old, so it is a good sized tree. Three years ago after it came to life in early spring, I noticed that the top 1/4 of the tree had way fewer leaves than it usually did and the leaves were smaller and a little wilty. I tried to find out what it was locally but nobody had a clue. Next year same problem, but now 1/2 the tree was affected. Leaves smaller, lighter in color, some turned fall color way early and fell off, and no growth anywhere on the tree. This year all the way down the tree. Again, very thin leafing, smaller leaves, lots of leaves have turned red and have fallen off, and absolutely no growth anywhere on the tree. I have done a lot of research and can only come up with Verticillium Wilt. This is not good news of course because there is no hope for the tree and it needs to come down and one can't plant any maple of any one of 300 other species in the area where this tree was removed as the fungus stays in the ground. Before I cut it down I though I would ask opinions here. It is the main shade tree on the West side of my house, so hate to loose it. Thoughts appreciated. Thanks!

The picture is from 2 months ago. The tree has lost at least half it's leaves since then. They don't turn brown and fall off, always fall colors and fall off. It gets plenty of water, fertilizer, and the spring time, 12 month Bayer treatment for bugs etc

 

[Alain BERTRAND]

I don't feel the symptoms of this tree typical of Vertcillium wilt.

I did have typical Vertcillium wilt on my palmatums in my piece of ground. Most of them survived, but with scars that prevent them to be used for bonsai. Also, when I worked the root of few of those who seemed to have recovered, they relapsed. I know a Asian garden not very far from I live with many palmatums, and I noticed that a lot of them had traces of dieback similar to verticillium wilt. As for the other trees, in my garden, though almost all palmatums became sick, only one Burger did.
I have already seen ornamental trees becoming very weak for a one or two years and then recover.

Theses explanations to say that I wouldn't cut it before being completely sure it is doomed.

 

[August44]

Alain, Thanks for the reply. I have read that trees do not recover from Verticillium wilt...ever! They do from Anthracnose which seems to have similar symptoms though.

 

[0soyoung]

NOT verticillium

 

[bwaynef]

Verticilium has not outward traces, other than the wilt. Its easily recognized by blacked vascular tissue in the wood though. If you cut an affected branch, you ought to be able to tell.

 

[Jzack605]

I would have a local arborist come and look. Post an image of the root flare, it may have been planted too deeply and may also have a girdling root. It could be borers. It could be Maple decline.

 

[August44]

Local arborists (?) know less than I do and could care less.

 

[Jzack605]

You don’t have a certified arborist in your area?

I have a hard time believing Oregon has a shortage of knowledgeable arborists.

 

[0soyoung]

Verticillium is soil borne - did you bring in soil from outside last year or early this year and put it around your tree that has been there for 20-25 years?

If NO, verticillium​

Verticillium conidia are killed by temperatures common in normal composting - did you add uncomposted material to the soil?

If NO, verticillium​

Verticillium gets into the xylem either via weak roots or, more often, an above ground wound
Verticillium clogs the xylem

No infected tree recovers from verticillium. A tree can be rid of verticillium only by removing everything above the point of entry.​

Verticillium grows at temperatures below 75F

Symptoms tend to appear in spring, not late summer​

Symptoms are leaves suddenly wilt, go brown and hang on.​

​

​

Simple rule of thumb = it (almost) never is due to verticillium.
Corollary = if you cannot figure out what caused the problem, don't call it 'verticillium'.
Corollary to the corollary = if you cannot figure out what caused the problem, don't call it 'anthracnose' either.


So, @Peter44, let us call your tree's problem 'drought stress' and discuss that.

 

[August44]

Well you go ahead and call it anything you want. I don't know what it is. I suggested Verticillium Wilt because I was told that's what it was . You sound like some kind of authority, but you haven't told me what the problem is yet. Now your suggesting "drought stress"? What is it with you that you have to bark at me anyway? If you can help me here, great. Otherwise just go away!

 

[August44]

You don’t have a certified arborist in your area?

I have a hard time believing Oregon has a shortage of knowledgeable arborists.

I live in a very small town in NE Oregon. I didn't say there was a shortage of arborists, but the ones here do not know what it is and 2 out of three would not even come out and look. The only info I got was from an arborists in Boise, Id. After me describing it and sending pictures, he told me it was verticillium wilt. I'm aware that the symptoms are not right and that's why I asked on here.

 

[bwaynef]

I'd take a sample to my extension office, pay them the fee for testing, and have them identify the pathogen.

OSU Extension in Your Community

extension.oregonstate.edu

 

[August44]

I'd take a sample to my extension office, pay them the fee for testing, and have them identify the pathogen.

OSU Extension in Your Community

extension.oregonstate.edu

when you say "sample", what does that mean? A section of a branch or trunk?? Thanks for the help

 

[Jzack605]

I thought @0soyoung actually did a decent job at hashing out What VW is, its symptoms and why it may not be VW.

End of the day is no one can tell you what is wrong with your tree based on one image, of one part of your tree that is from a distance. Diagnosis via images is difficult as it is.

it can be so many different problems.

your best bet is a sample as already said. Live tissue including foliage from multiple parts. If possible getting transition zones where the live tissue goes to the dead/affected tissue. Root samples may be of help as well, aim for finer roots.

I stand by planted too deeply and potential girdling root. Maples are notorious for this, and their root plate becomes a mess. But again, we don’t even have an image of the base

 

[bwaynef]

when you say "sample", what does that mean? A section of a branch or trunk?? Thanks for the help

Find the one for your county and ask them what they'd need to identify it for you.

 

[hinmo24t]

pot that thang up

 

[August44]

I contacted my local Extension agency. The local agent is fighting fires on the West side of Oregon, but the secretary was going to get word out to the two master gardeners and have them get in touch with me.

In regards to @0soyoung...I did feel barked at and like I was being treated as an unknowledgeable idiot. I also disagree with what he said...Verticillium Wilt can be passed from one tree to another by affected leaves, it doesn't have to be infected soil, that's why they suggest that one gets the leaves picked up and burned quickly. I also did not come on here claiming that it was VW or anthracnosis. I mentioned them as reference only. He was a bit over-bearing for me, and I don't know why. It doesn't help that I am triggered by that type of behavior either.

 

[August44]

Up date: I finally called the Oregon State University Plant Lab in Corvallis and a real person called me back. She suggested that I go down in the soil a bit around the trunk and look for crossed roots and anything that could be choking off nourishment to the upper tree. I didn't have to go very far down and found the first one and then 4-5 more as I worked my way around the trunk. 3 of the cross over roots were less that 1" in diameter, but several were big and were crossing over and choking big roots underneath them. I cut off anything crossing over and choking and hope I didn't kill the tree. I was told the cross over root problem comes from root bound trees in pots along the way. I bought this as a pretty big tree and I remember finally getting it out of the pot and rolling the burlaped ball into the hole and then cutting the burlap loose. Obviously I should have cut the burlap loose top side and checked the roots first.

 

[Forsoothe!]

I had the similar problem with a Camperdown where the jerks left the wire basket in place... Could not be detected until pulled out for the replacement tree. Grrrrrrr

 

[leatherback]

look for crossed roots and anything that could be choking off nourishment to the upper tree.

Post an image of the root flare, it may have been planted too deeply and may also have a girdling root.

Nice to see that here on the forum you were given this suggestion weeks ago too.