If a maple loses its leaves unplanned, this process will ring alarm bells for the home gardener. The noble tree reacts to unsuitable conditions or diseases by shedding its leaves. You can read about the most common causes of leaf loss on Acer platanoides globosum here.

If the maple loses leaves, this can mean too much or too little water

Drought stress causes leaf fall - how to react correctly

The profile defines spherical maple trees as heart-rooted with a predominantly flat growth of the strands in width. The roots only reach a depth of 100 cm in loose soil. The tree is therefore dependent on rain for an adequate water supply. When dry, a maple sheds its leaves to reduce the degree of evaporation. This is what to do now:

  • In case of leaf loss due to drought stress, water thoroughly
  • Let the water hose run on the tree disc for at least 30 minutes two to three times a week
  • Best time is early morning or after sunset

Watering the thirsty maple daily and in smaller amounts is the worse option. This watering rhythm causes the tree to develop further, shallow roots, neglecting the advantageous deep growth.

Waterlogging makes the leaves fall

As an extreme counterpart to drought, waterlogging also causes leaf loss. When planting, choose a spot in well-drained soil so that excess rain runs off quickly. Please stop watering in good time as soon as puddles form on the tree grate.

One-sided leaf loss leaves little room for recovery chances

The specter of common maple diseases manifests itself in the form of wilting and falling leaves on one side of the crown. A slowly progressing process is typical for the dreaded Verticillium wilt. This distinguishes the symptoms from short-term storm damage in the foliage, which closes within a short time.

Verticillium is a fungal infection that clogs the pathways in the maple tree. Since no healing methods have been discovered so far and there is a high risk of infection for neighboring trees, the affected tree should be cleared and disposed of immediately.

tips

Loss of leaf with announcement is a fungal attack on the spherical maple. If dark spots with a yellow edge are spreading on the foliage, tar spot disease has struck. A mealy-grey coating is the classic symptom of powdery mildew. Both fungal infections eventually cause leaf loss.

Category:

Trees