I have recently received a Trident Maple from a friend in a local club.
It's about 18" high and 2" trunk, but he had repotted it and noticed
something wrong and didn't want to deal with it. Thenew leaves are
browning almost as soon as they open. It is in full shade in a larger
size flattish clay pot, a bulb pot. It is in a basic desert bonsai mix,
I have stopped misting it daily, and I only water it when the soil is
dry a half inch under the soil. I have tried to reference the symptoms
and have found it to appear like a fungus, Anthracnose. The question is
whether the diagnosis is right and whether the tree can be saved. Any
thoughts? From zone 12 in Tucson, Brian

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I have recently received a Trident Maple from a friend in a
local club.
It's about 18" high and 2" trunk, but he had repotted it and
noticed
something wrong and didn't want to deal with it. Thenew leaves
are
browning almost as soon as they open. It is in full shade in a
larger
size flattish clay pot, a bulb pot. It is in a basic desert
bonsai mix,
I have stopped misting it daily, and I only water it when the
soil is
dry a half inch under the soil. I have tried to reference the
symptoms
and have found it to appear like a fungus, Anthracnose. The
question is
whether the diagnosis is right and whether the tree can be
saved. Any
thoughts? From zone 12 in Tucson, Brian

Lime sulfur and other copper fungicides may be used -- on a
bonsai follow mixing directions STRICTLY, or mix a bit weak.
Daconil is also labeled for Anthracnose.

Housekeeping, however, if your best control. Clean up fallen
leaves and remove them from the area. Give the tree good air
circulation, which you may not have in full shade. Do NOT spray
the leaves. It is damp conditions that bring on this disease --
which is why I find it odd that a tree in Tucson Arizona has it;
even daily misting shouldn't have gotten the environment damp
enough long enough to bring this on. If it only hits new leaves,
though, your diagnosis may be right -- but see below.

You might want to consider that it may be Verticillum wilt --
especially if the browning leaves are near the top of the tree
and if branches start dieing (check under the bark of a dead
branch and look for dark, discolored wood). Unfortunately,
there's no chemical cure for Verticillum, and little hope for the
tree's survival. Prune away dead branches (WELL below the
infected area) and fertilize the tree with high-nitrogen
fertilizer -- and hope. TOTAL soil replacement (scrub the
roots!) MAY help. When the tree dies sterilize the pot.
Sterilize pruning tools after use also.

It could also just be desiccation from your desert dryness,
through that really shouldn't occur until your temperatures begin
to reach the 100-degree mark. I follow AZ temperatures, though,
and don't recall seeing them up there yet.

Good luck.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - Our life is
frittered away by detail . . . . Simplify! Simplify. -- Henry
David Thoreau - Walden

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++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++