A Pest? Any Ideas?

[teejay]

Some people are telling me it's aphids, but I've had this pest for two years on my Maples now and I haven't see a single bug! Can anyone backup this claim for me or does anyone have another opinion?

The same pest turns some new shoots black and they then crumble.

Cheers.

[BoNZai]

Hey Teejay,
looks like you got a few problems there!

Are they Tridents?
There are a number of posts that indicate probems with maples and the Trident seems to pop up regularly.

I don't think you have an aphid prob. For this type of damage you would spot the buggers a mile away.

I don't think this is fungal either. By this I mean an external fungi that you can see on the leaf.

To me this looks like physical damage that comes from the inside of the tree. You have some big pruning wounds on some and it is possible that you have picked something up there.

Some readers have mentioned wind burn, fertiliser problems as in too much, some have mentioned virus and my pick is some internal problem.

Solution is by way of elimination the above three.

You can't do anything about virus so forget about it.
You only know your fert regime so you can either eliminate that or change it
Windburn? only you know if that can be discounted
Internal problems are mainly root related. Too wet, too dry, fungal?
Again, you know your watering regime.

If you can discount most of this I would use beneficial fungi such as Micoriza or Thrichoderma a few times a week with watering.
I haven't got the answer but as I said it becomes a process of elimination and act on the most likely possibilities
These sorts of problems are often a combination of smaller issues

hope this gives you something to think about

BoNZai

[teejay]

Thanks for that mate.

After reading your post I'm starting to think it might be moisture related. Although I haven't really been watering at all my backyard is fairly shaded and the weather since bud burst has been wet and rarely warm at all where I am. Also, last year I had the same issue early on but when it heated up it appeared to go away. I thought at the time I must have killed whatever was doing it but maybe the soil was able to dry out more sufficiently.

It's not wind damage, I can't see any pests, and I've fertilised pretty conservatively. I'll try adding mycohiza.

Thanks again.

[Bretts]

See here Teejay
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=456&hilit=deformed
What you show is exactly the same issue I am facing. Right down to those little burnt tips an the newest growth. Kym has had Lindsay Bebb state this is a virus(don't know which) after viewing what is going on with hers and she has viewed these leaves (on the linked thread) and believes it is the same as her's. Yet Don and Ray from given descriptions of burnt deformed leaves(that return to normal through the season) state this is exactly the symptoms of Thrips. They and the Internet say by the time you see it the damage has already been done so there is little you can do but wait. You could defoliate and wait for a fresh set of healthy leaves if you are keen which Don suggested but after the fact this is probably nothing to do with the health of the tree only cosmetical like wind burnt leaves you can leave them on or remove them. The later looks better but uses more energy as the tree can still use a damaged leaf.
It has been mentioned that it can not be ruled out there is more than one thing going on here but this sure looks like thrips compared to the pictures and description on the Internet and two very capable nurserymen also believe so.
I am unsure if the neighbours tree was going to cause any further damage for the year but I feel much better that it is gone.(see other thread)
I am confident I will see an improvement in mine very soon.
I will be taking a sample for Tony Bebb to look at on the weekend to get a 5th opinion I have had Oak hawthorn robina tallow trident and probably a couple of others affected by this.
Hornbeam elm cherry and plenty of others have not been affected. Don suggested this may have alot to do with the time of bud burst as the thrips have a window that is the attack period and if they have not leafed out they are not damaged. I also found that the ones in the shade house where not affected. Don also believed this had more to do again with these ones budding out later after the threat had past. I thought it was because thrips can be carried by the wind and the shade house was more protected.

[teejay]

Thanks heaps for that Bretts, after that description of thrips it actually makes a lot of sense with what's happening. I have some tridents (a different kind) which bud later in the season and they don't have it, even though some are in the same pot as those that do?? The 'burnt' tips is also a telltail sign, I've seen nothing like it.

I'll read up on them more,

Cheers again mate.