As his profile tells us, ash maple is one of the non-native maple species. An Acer negundo is correspondingly susceptible to European plant diseases. This guide illuminates typical symptoms of frequent infections with tips for combating them in a practical and comprehensible manner.
Diseases can often be seen on the leaves
White-gray fluff on the foliage signals fungal infection
What a shock when the distinctive pinnate leaves on the ash maple are covered with a whitish-grey coating. If the fluff can be wiped off with your fingers, there is no longer any doubt as to the cause of the problem. Powdery mildew is one of the most common diseases found on Acer negundo and its beautiful varieties. How to fight fungus:
- Cut back affected parts of the plant down to the healthy wood
- Dispose of infected leaves and shoots in household waste or burn them
- Make a solution with 1 liter of water and 1/8 liter of fresh milk
- Add a few drops of dish soap and pour into a spray bottle
Treat the entire tree with the milk water two to three times a week. In the early stages, the home remedy has proven itself to effectively combat powdery mildew.
Maple wrinkle scab also speaks American
Ash maple's North American origin doesn't protect it from a common maple disease. The symptoms look more dramatic than the disease actually is. How to recognize the infestation and react correctly:
- Slightly raised, black spots with a yellow border appear on living leaves
- The affected tree initiates a premature fall with massive leaf fall
Causes of the tar spot disease, as maple wrinkle scab is often called, are fungal spores from the group of ascomycetes. Since the pathogens can only reproduce on the fallen leaves, you can prevent another infestation with a simple measure. If you collect and destroy all the leaves, the development cycle will be interrupted and your ash maple will be spared in the coming year.
tips
There is little hope for an ash maple when local leaves and shoots are wilting while neighboring regions of the crown appear healthy. This symptom is typical of the dreaded Verticillium wilt. The fungal pathogens attack the tree from the roots and block the supply pathways. The subsequent decline cannot be stopped by any known fungicides.