What is wrong with this Japanese maple?

Madeline C
by Madeline C
The top and inner part of the tree are dying and the leaves on the rest of the tree are getting gray on the edges. What is this and what do you suggest doing to save the tree?
Thanks
  4 answers
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Sep 07, 2012
    My post disappeared, so you may see this twice! Not knowing where you are located or what type Japanese Maple you have, my top three guesses are heat stress, too much sun and too little water.
  • Douglas Hunt Douglas Hunt on Sep 08, 2012
    I think those are good guesses.
  • Madeline C Madeline C on Sep 08, 2012
    Should my neighbor do something or will the tree come back when the weather cools? (we are in central north Carolina)
  • 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) 360 Sod (Donna Dixson) on Sep 08, 2012
    Madeline, it was an extremely brutal year on any tree this year. The tree most likely will recover on its own, though I would recommend cutting out the dead limbs as they will not re-leaf. They will look grayish in color and be very brittle. I would wait until spring to determine how much damage has been wrought. It looks to be like it is a red lace leaf and they do not do very well in full hot sun exposure. If they want to move it, I recommend that they wait till all the leaves have dropped, then take as much of the root mass as possible. Dig the new hole prior to digging out the tree, so that they can just plop it down into the new hole as soon as they have it dug up, then give the roots a good soaking after they put it in the new hole.