On 05/09/2011 01:38 PM, Charlie Pridham wrote:
I too have a badly damaged Acer (Crimson King), 30 years old.

Although hardy trees, I think they may have been caught this year by
that early cold before they had lost their leaves and gone properly
dormant, I don't think its disease as I am hearing to many stories like
yours for it to be just a coincidence.

In my case I notice at the base of each dead stem are a cluster of new
shoots so I would not give up hope just yet

That's really too bad about your tree Charlie, it's awful when a mature
tree suddenly has problems. Sounds like it will pull through though.
In the last few years I've lost a mature 'Okagami' to die-back, it was
one of the first maples I ever planted, and really hard to see it go.
Mind you, my casualty list is pretty long by now, especially as I tend
to push the envelope a little.

Actually I wasn't making a case for a disease, just parroting standard
precautions for cutting back maples, since you never do know.

-E