How to Treat Common Diseases of Maple Trees
Landscapers and homeowners often prize maple trees for their beautiful foliage and wide, shady canopies. In the fall, maple color changes range from bright, sunny yellow to fiery orange to deep burgundy red. Maples also produce fragrant sap that you can harvest in the fall to make your own maple syrup. Unfortunately, maple trees attract many pests and diseases. Some are rare or non-threatening. Others must be treated as soon as you notice them. You may need to contact a professional arborist for some diseases, but most are easily treated yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Examine your maple tree for black or purple spots on the leaves, brown leaf buds, bark discoloration and rapid, sudden branch death. All of these signs indicate different kinds of fungus. Prune off and pick up all affected branches and leaves, discarding them in garbage bags to avoid infecting the soil.
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Spray a fungus-infected tree with a mild fungicide. Attach a hose-end garden sprayer filled with a fungicide-water solution and spray the trunk and up through the branches. Use lemon juice, tea tree oil, or a mix of the two for an organic fungicide. Spray every other day until the fungus is gone.
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Check leaves for ragged chew marks and holes and the bark for tiny bore holes and spongy places. Look under the leaves for white or green egg clusters. These signs indicate insect infestation. Remove as much affected foliage as you can, especially if it is not widespread.
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Dilute a pesticide with water using about a two to one ratio. Use your hose-end garden sprayer to coat the tree with the pesticide, focusing on the foliage where pests love to hide. Use liquid sulfur in place of chemical pesticides. It smells bad but won't damage your tree. Treat until all signs of the pests are gone.
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