Gardening 2009

[Stevienics]

Can anyone help me out with my young Maple tree? Planted in early summer in all the right stuff (including bonemeal and small chppings for drainage) in the clay lke Cambridgeshire soil, it initally prospered but lately has picked up white powder and is not growing as I had hoped. It gets irrigated and nitrate fed often still and is not in a shaded area, but I was sort of hoping for more Ooomph.

Any ideas on it's lassitude?

 

[Tin basher]

Can anyone help me out with my young Maple tree? Planted in early summer in all the right stuff (including bonemeal and small chppings for drainage) in the clay lke Cambridgeshire soil, it initally prospered but lately has picked up white powder and is not growing as I had hoped. It gets irrigated and nitrate fed often still and is not in a shaded area, but I was sort of hoping for more Ooomph.

Any ideas on it's lassitude?

Sounds like a touch of mildew if it's got a fine white powdery deposit on the leaves, (purple maples seem more prone to mildew don't know why). The leaves will fall off soon anyway in Autumn when they do collect them up and get rid DO NOT compost them, burning is best. Mildew is a fungal pest that can be treated. Have a look here - http://pluto.nexusbroadband.co.uk/~admin42/Over Wintering-Pest & Diseases.html

A winter spraying of correctly diluted anti-fungal won't do it any harm I used to spray my apple trees with it to stop fungal spores overwintering. Try asking in your local garden centre for gen. TB