ends of tree branches dying

[beer batter]

Have quite a few young trees that continue to have the ends of many branches die off each spring. I clip the dead sections each year and the rest of the tree looks healthy for the summer. Next season I may have to trim off more. It may happen over the winter for all I know, but the spring is when I notice they're dead. Maples growing in a clay soil. Plenty of sun and water, if the suns out they're seeing it. Some of the trees are starting to look like bushes with a long trunk because I've had to cut back so many dead branches.

Any thoughts on what is causing it and what I can do to prevent it?

[Steve Foss]

What variety of maple, and what care regarding water and fertilizing, if any, have you been giving them?

[beer batter]

A few different varieties. Red maple, Autumn blaze maple, Deborah maple, and I think another one is a Norway Maple (it gets a broad green leaf that turns a burnt orange color in the fall). We've had a few problems with some river birch too, but not near the extreme of the maples. Same issues with a Japanese Lilac as well.

No special fertilizing most of the time. One fall I did put some fertilizer stakes on a few trees after having this problem, but I don't think it helped. I suppose the trees get some lawn fertilizer a few times a year. Just the regular crab grass preventer, broad leaf killer, and winterizer and the appropriate times.

They get water when the lawn is watered. Our lawn is always pretty green.

[Steve Foss]

That's one I haven't seen before. This is pure speculation, but if you're applying a fertilizer/weed preventer mix to the lawn, it's possible the tree roots are sucking up traces of that weed killer and it's killing only the tender young leaves, which are the most susceptible, and leaving the other leaves alone.

[setterguy]

Does it look like the tips of the leaves are turning brown and shriveling? I had a maple in my old house that started to do the same thing a few years ago, I was told it was because of the cold/wet spells we were getting after the trees had started to bud.

[Powerstroke]

HOw big are the trunk diameter of the trees? How big were they when you planted them? Did you do the planting or did a nursery or landscaper?

As a rule of thumb, how ever large the tree is, thats how many years it will take for the tree to fully recover from the transplanting. A 3" tree will take 3 years.

Since you mention clay soils that can make a big deal. Not a lot of nutrients move in clay soils and the drainage is usually poor, especially in a hole dug for a root ball.

I would be thinking that the trees may be planted too deep. Are there any marks on the side of the trees? Do they get hit while mowing or weed whipping?

The major thing is your trees are stressed. Whether its from root damage, lack of nutrients, insects or human error, there may not be much you can do. If the main branches have died back to the truck, then its about time to replace the tree. It will never regain a normal form.

None of the species you mentioned have any sort of sensitivities that would make them more at risk than others so I have to believe that its environmental. Its either poor site or poor care and since it sounds like you're trying pretty ahrd I have to think that your yard may need some work to make trees grow like you'd want them too.

[beer batter]

Some of the trees were purchased from nurseries, others from Walmart. All came from a fairly large bucket. I dug the holes over sized and filled with mixtures of organic soil/peat moss/wood chips and the natural clay soil. Pretty sure they're not too deep. The thickness of the trunks differ. Some are only 1" across while others are nearly 4 inches across by now. All trees have corrugated plastic around trunk to protect from mower/weed wacker.

Never noticed much browning of the leaves. They look pretty health during the growing season. Just funky shapes after having cut back the ends so much.

[Powerstroke]

If the trees seem otherwise healthy during the season, then I'm thinking that there is just some dieback happening due to the transplant shock.

For the trees that are still in decent shape, if there is some dieback still I would cut back at least 1 bud further back than where the dead starts. The ends of the tree are probably weaker than the rest so this way you aren't providing water and nutrients to a set of leaves and twig growth that will die anyway.

The biggest concern with transplanting and having dieback is due to poor root development. It could be because of your soil conditions, watering or poor care of the roots before during or after planting.

It sucks to waste the money, but if you want to have nice looking trees, I would replant. If the trees have a warrenty, use it, otherwise you're gonna have to suck it up and pay for new ones.

I forget the actual number, but in the City I work for we have ~10% new planting failure within 1 year.

The best thing to do is avoid "end-of-the-season" discounts on trees. MOst of those are damamged, poor structure or have been sitting on the lot so long the roots have started to grow in circles around the pot. Getting a deal is okay, but don't buy the "special discount" plants. They are still there for a reason.

[Steve Foss]

I agree with 'stroke on those sales. The other thing is, if you buy them in mid summer, half the growing season is over, and the tree has less chance to acclimate to its new spot. That makes it weaker going into winter than a tree that was planted early.