October glory maple losing leaves (grow, fertilizer, tree, ants)

[StanFischlerHockE]

It rained a lot 2 weeks ago like 4 inches and now my 13 year old maples is losing leaves. I dont see any discoloration on the leaves that are falling. Very strange. Any recommendations or what to look for? I was thinking of putting down some fertilizer spikes and getting some bayer liquid. I am located in North Carolina.

[NC211]

careful on the fertilizer, japanese maples are sensitive because they grow slow. I have several in my yard. I use just the basic 10-10-10 garden fertilizer and on a mature tree, I sprinkle 1 cup or so around the area under the leaf umbrella, making sure not to have piles of the fertilizer.

[Zoisite]

Originally Posted by StanFischlerHockE

It rained a lot 2 weeks ago like 4 inches and now my 13 year old maples is losing leaves. I dont see any discoloration on the leaves that are falling. Very strange. Any recommendations or what to look for? I was thinking of putting down some fertilizer spikes and getting some bayer liquid. I am located in North Carolina.

That October Glory maple is a cultivar of red maple which is native to the east coast of North America and should do okay in your location and climate conditions. But they are susceptible to heavy infestations of aphids which will cause leaf wilt and leaf drop so aphids of any colour is the first thing you should look for. Aphids are highly attracted to the sweet sap of red maples. Don't just examine the dropped leaves, look at the leaves on the tree, also at the woody part of the tree branch where the tender leaf stem grows out of the branch and look on the more tender branches and tips of new woody growth. Look also for ant "highways" where farmer ants would be marching in rows up and down the tree trunk, that would be an indication that ants may be farming and milking "herds" of aphids up in the tree's canopy.


Can you post pictures of the tree and the leaves?
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