Tree Concerns

Question: Hey so I'm a bit concerned about a few of my trees.  I'm not sure if they're just having a hard time with drought conditions or what but thought I'd see what you think.  There are 3 of concern:
Pine tree of some sort
Red Maple
Japanese Maple

I've taken 3 photos of each in order of how Iisted above.  Please see photos
Welp, guess I will have to send 3 different inquiries as it only allows 3 pics total.  First will be pine tree then.

responder: The Question Asker Replied November 07, 2024, 3:38 PM EST
response: Hey so I'm a bit concerned about a few of my trees.  I'm not sure if they're just having a hard time with drought conditions or what but thought I'd see what you think.  There are 3 of concern:
Pine tree of some sort
Red Maple
Japanese Maple

I've taken 3 photos of each in order of how Iisted above.  Please see photos.  This inquiry is #2 of 3 and will cover the red maple with attached photos.

responder: The Question Asker Replied November 07, 2024, 3:40 PM EST
response: Hey so I'm a bit concerned about a few of my trees.  I'm not sure if they're just having a hard time with drought conditions or what but thought I'd see what you think.  There are 3 of concern:
Pine tree of some sort
Red Maple
Japanese Maple

I've taken 3 photos of each in order of how Iisted above.  Please see photos.  These photos will be Japanese maple.

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied November 07, 2024, 4:15 PM EST
response: Unfortunately none of the images loaded properly for some reason...can you please try again? You can either attach files 3 at a time (you don't need to enter a new question for each set, just reply again to send new attachments) or paste images directly into the body of your reply instead.  If the pine has yellowing older needles (those not on the branch tips but closer to the trunk end of the branch), that is usually normal, and is only the typical autumn leaf shed that these and some other evergreens (arborvitae, spruce, etc.) experience each year. Drought could certainly exacerbate shedding volume for any species, though.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied November 11, 2024, 1:50 PM EST
response: Can I just send pics here???    IMG_7694.jpg  IMG_7691.jpg  IMG_7689.jpg  IMG_7692.jpg  IMG_7695.jpg  IMG_7690.jpg  IMG_7693.jpg  IMG_7696.jpg  IMG_7697.jpg

responder: The Question Asker Replied November 11, 2024, 1:54 PM EST

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied November 11, 2024, 5:05 PM EST
response: We see the images now, thank you.  The Japanese Maples (both the upright one and the weeping "laceleaf" one) seem to have some degree of scorch, which is leaf damage due to drought stress. Were they being watered this past summer? Most of the state has been in drought status all summer and autumn long, and it has not yet abated. Even long-established plants have been getting stressed, damaged, or died outright due to the insufficient rain. While some plants will lose leaves early (or they will dry and become brittle, as these have, before they would have fallen off normally), not all will survive unscathed. You'll have to see how they fare and leaf out next spring, trimming off any branch tips or entire branches that remain bare well after the other leaves emerged normally. Some types of infectious fungi take advantage of such stress and can kill branches harmed by drought, and there is no cure or treatment for that condition; the dead wood just needs to be pruned off as it's discovered.  Do water the maples (as needed) until the ground freezes, though, so the roots get the moisture they need to keep next year's buds alive all winter. As with summer watering, feel the soil about six inches deep in the plant's root zone and water thoroughly if it has become somewhat dry to the touch at that depth. Our Watering Trees and Shrubs page provides more guidance.  The upright Japanese maple also has a small amount of powdery mildew, a very common fungal disease which looks worse than it is. It won't cause damage to the tree at this point and can be ignored. Powdery mildew thrives during conditions of warm days, cooler nights, and moderate to high humidity.  We don't see any Red Maple images, but are guessing that is the red-leaved variety of Japanese maple you were asking about. Red maple is a native shade tree much taller than Japanese maple, and which is not red-leaved during summer; its botanical name is Acer rubrum. Japanese Maples are Acer palmatum (or in the case of the laceleaf types, Acer palmatum dissectum), regardless of their leaf color, though the most popular varieties grown are red-leaved.  The evergreen pictured is not a pine, but an arborvitae. Arborvitae can also shed their oldest needles in autumn, just like pines do, but usually they are more hidden by their dense growth and it's only the needles on the interior of the shrub that turn brown and fall off. When needles on the tips of branches turn brown, that is due to either stress (over- or under-watering, like drought) or a minor insect pest like a type of leafminer. The insect rarely is abundant enough to warrant treatment, and it would be more likely given this year's weather that drought is the main factor behind those symptoms. Arborvitae are not very drought-tolerant evergreens, and many have suffered with this year's conditions. There appears to be both some natural needle shedding happening plus some stress-induced needle browning in the photos. Here too, the plant would benefit from periodic watering (after the soil is checked for moisture level) until we get cold enough for regular freezes. Leaves cannot heal from damage, regardless of the cause, but new growth (if the buds and roots that support them remain healthy) can help to cover-up older foliage until it's time for it to fall off in a future autumn.  Miri

responder: The Question Asker Replied November 11, 2024, 6:45 PM EST
response: Uuuugh. I'm so mad I didn't notice sooner but have started watering them so hopefully they can all recover.  That Japanese Maple has been with me for over 20 years and I normally kill EVERYTHING so the fact that I not only explanted it and brought it here and replanted and it's survived AND I had to support and wire it after a heavy snowfall once that split the main trunk, this thing is a keeper and can hopefully survive this too!  Did I understand correctly that I should trim the dead looking leafless branches from it now?    Thanks so much for all of your guidance and information!   ~ Laura

responder: Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied November 12, 2024, 9:17 AM EST
response: You're welcome.  Don't trim leafless branches now; they might have just shed leaves early (or on time, really), not having died back, as it's not easy to tell the difference this time of year. Instead, wait until spring, once the leaves have emerged fully on healthy growth, to see if any bare branches remain. At that point, bare branches are presumed too weakened to keep or dead and can be trimmed off.  Miri