leaves turning yellow on sycamore

[kzin]

Hello,

I had 3 sycamores planted last fall. All three came to life wonderfully this spring and were doing great up until this week. Now the leaves of one of them are turning yellow with something of a mottled appearance. There are still plenty of green leaves but this came on quickly. Nothing particularly different about the location of this tree compared with the others. They all get about the same sun and water. The affected one has a monkey flower bush closer to it that is probably best but there isn't any sunlight competition.

This is San Diego. Not the coastal climate region but the one just in from that.

Thoughts?

And before you chime in John the mulch is about a foot from the trunk and it was planted by professionals at the proper depth.

thanks ml

[beecrofter]

been rainy? here in the east they get anthracnose to the point of defoliating in a wet spring.

[kzin]

No, not really, and no signs on the symptoms on the other 2.

[symplastless]

kzen

The tree can survive a year without leaves. take your finger and scrap the outer bark and you will see green tissue. The tree sheds its outer bark an leaves an envelop of green cortex like a big leaf around the tree. If you planted it at the right depth and pruned the roots correctly and mulched correctly and did not add nitrogen at planting time you should be ok. I would recommend an application of microelements with a correct mulching program. I would stay clear of urea and fast release nitrogen. Microelements would be helpful. All you can do is love the tree or trees. Its natures way of thinning.

[Sheldon]

ffected one has a

Sandy Eggo is much too warm and arid, and its soil is typically too poor for growing sycamore. Trying to grow sycamore in San Diego is like trying to grow joshua trees in Noo Yawk City. Where did you get sycamore trees in San Diego, the nurserys there certainly don't sell them and mail order companies don't ship plants to California. You didn't smuggle them in, did you?

[kzin]

I guess that explains the 60 foot sycamore in the lot behind mine. And yes they were bought at a local nursery. Sycamores do fine out here.

[Boron Elgar]

Sycamores are common in the area. There is a western genus.

?id=15664I have a Joshua tree, grown from seed, and am 25 miles from NYC. It is about 10 years old.

Boron

[Sheldon]

"kzin" wrote:

However your original post betrays your claim... for credibility you should have offered that info about your neighbor's tree originally. There are some small locations in southern CA where sycamores will thrive, like in various parks and the San Diego Zoo, but plenty of top soil was trucked in and water features built to support all their foreign flora. The ground in and around San Diego is primarilly rock and sand with little to no top soil and practically zero water retention... it's quite likely your neighbor's sycamore is planted directly over a natural underground spring. And you must have a fairly large property to support three sycamores, each requires a minimum of 1/4 acre. What size are your trees now? Professionally planted typically means they have the heavy equipment for transporting and digging, but not necessarilly any expert knowlege about planting large trees. If they were truly planted by professionals they would have dug a much oversized hole and brought in truckloads of top soil and even built up mounds, then inserted a few large diameter perforated PVC pipes about each tree perimeter, necessary for deep watering in arid clime soil conditions. Your tree's leaves suddenly turning yellow is definitely indicative of lacking water... all the watering in the world is to no avail if the ground can't retain it. Summer heat is nigh in San Diego, be prepared to lose all three of those trees. If professionally planted they should be guaranteed, contact the nursery who did the planting. Good luck.

[Sheldon]

great care and require high maintenance... I think i mentioned the San Diego Zoo, they can afford the upkeep. Most conservatorys can afford foreign flora, but the average homeowner cannot.

I have many cacti, growing indoors, in pots.

[Boron Elgar]

?id=15664>>They're not common, they wre planted in specific locations and with

They are common and you obviously did not read all the citations I provided. Quelle surprise.

Once again I include this. If you don't understand it, perhaps you can get one your cats to explain it to you, as I am sure the cat is of higher IQ.

I have family there, visit frequently, and see the sycamores. What proof have you that they do not thrive there?

My Joshua is outside. I have cactus outside, too, a whole patch of it.

I don't think you really know what you are talking about with sycamores, Joshuas or cactus. Rather like your overblown pronouncements on rfc.

Boron

[symplastless]

Does the so called sycamore you see have ring porous or diffuse porous wood? Also often here in PA they often call a London Plane Tree a Sycamore Tree. Do you have any pictures of the trees you call sycomores?

[kzin]

Platanus racemosa

[Boron Elgar]

I didn't make up the name - they are called that in California.... California sycamores, Platanus racemosa, referred to locally as plain old "sycamore."

The ones here in the east that I am familiar with - the American sycamore - is Platanus occidentalis, referred to locally as plain old "sycamore."

The London plane is yet a different Plantanus, often referred to as P.x hispanica, referred to locally as plain old "plane tree."

Boron

[symplastless]

sycamore? Both cannot compromise its water supply.

[symplastless]

Its my understanding that if the bark behind the shed phellem is white it is plane and if it has a yellow tint its a sycamore? At least here in Pa.

[kzin]

You are wrong. It's the California Sycamore. I think the problem is that it probably needs a bit more water than I've been giving it. You can't give a drought tolerant landscape a ton of water if you want it to learn to be drought tolerant. But the trees need more than the shrubs. I'm going to give these guys a deep water every couple weeks from now on and see how that goes.

My main problem now is gophers... they are digging everywhere.

[mleblanca]

Boron is correct. California Sycamore is Platanus racemosa. According to Jepson: Common. Streamsides, canyons. Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, SanDiego Counties.

I think that you are correct that it is not getting enough water. Even drought tolerant native plants need sufficient water when planted out in an "artificial" situation for the first summer until fall rain starts. Perhaps one of those gophers has made a tunnel and the water is being drained away. Or one is dining on some of the roots.

Of course there are many Sycamores along every little drainage and arroyo bottom in Inland SoCal. and all those little drainages are dry in summer, yet the trees are big, beautiful specimens. Remember them well. Gosh, we even have them up here in NorCal! Emilie

[Boron Elgar]

I've never investigated.

Boron

[symplastless]

I belive at 10-30 power under the scope the wood is very simular. Once someone said one has 2 balls and the other has 1 ball. I forgot which was which. Do your sycomores have one, I guess seed balls or two in a group?

John

[kzin]

in the area due to the older sycamore I mentioned. This apparently causes the first growth of leaves to yellow, die, and drop off. These leaves are then quickly replaced and all is usually well.