8 Common Princeton Gold Maple Tree Problems – How To Resolve

How will you feel if you get your Princeton gold maple tree in trouble? It may be leaf problems, winter damage, root injury, transplant shock, dieback, poor growth, insect attack, or disease occurrence. Overwatering, too much light, imbalanced temperature, low humidity, nutrient deficiency, and inappropriate soil situation are causes of such destruction.

I got disappointed when my Princeton gold maple tree problems were getting out of hand. Then, I tried many solutions and among them, I found some fruitful ways. I want to share these solutions with you so that you can also save your plant like me. 

Here is a short description of the problems and their solutions presented in the table.

ProblemsCauseSolutions
Leaf problems

  • Upper leaves bleaching 
  • Leaf scorching
  • Faded leaves
  • Leaf dropping
  • Brown spots on the leaves
  • Leaves yellowing
  • Too much sunlight.
  • Excessive temperature  
  • Inappropriate soil condition 
  • Low humidity 
  • Insect infestation 
  • Nutrient deficiency 
  • Provide bright and direct sunlight
  • The temperature range should be between 75-88°F
  • Use loam soil has high nutrient contents
  • Water the plant regularly and sprinkle water. You may also use a humidifier. 
  • Apply pesticides
  • Use bone meal, fish meal, and other fertilizers.
Winter damageToo low temperature Keep the temperature range between 75-88°F
Root injuryOverwatering
  • Fix the watering issue
  • Improve the drainage system
Transplant shock Failure to maintain the microclimatesMake all the necessary elements perfectly available to the plant at the initial stage
DiebackPoor soil condition Improve the soil fertility and use loam soil having neutral or acidic pH
Poor growthOverwateringWater your plant only when the soil gets dry
Insects

  • Scale
  • Aphid
  • Gall
  • Asian ambrosia beetles
Attractive foliage and flower
  • Remove by hand picking
  • Use pesticides or homemade solutions
Diseases

  • Tar spot
  • Anthracnose
  • Powdery mildew
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Phyllosticta leaf spot
  • Damages created by any means
  • Microorganisms like viruses, bacteria, fungi, and nematodes
  • Remove the affected parts
  • Use industrial chemicals or homemade recipes 

8 Common Princeton Gold Maple Tree Problems With Their Solutions

1. Leaf Problems

Firstly, I will talk about the leaf problems as these are noticed before other problems. Some common leaf problems that occur in the Princeton gold maple tree are-

  • Upper leaves bleaching 
  • Leaf scorching
  • Faded leaves
  • Leaf dropping
  • Brown spots on the leaves
  • Leaf yellowing

Causes

Now, I will list the causes of these problems.

  • Too much sunlight can make the leaves bleached
  • Excessive temperature is responsible for leaf scorching
  • Your tree leaves can be faded because of inappropriate soil conditions 
  • Low humidity may make the leaves drop out
  • Insect infestation creates secretion of excreta that creates brown or black spots on the leaves. Disease attacks may also be responsible for such spots.
  • Though the leaves remain yellow in summer, the yellow colors become pale if nutrient deficiency occurs.

Control Measures

Well, I presented a huge list of problems and their causes. Now, I have to provide solutions to each of the problems. Let’s jump into that. Princeton gold maple tree can grow better in full sunlight. But if the temperature becomes too hot to tolerant, provide some shade to your plant. It will save the pigments of the leaves. 

Temperature is a sensitive issue for the plant. So keep the temperature range between 75-88°F which is optimum for the plant. Provide enough watering on hot days to reduce the temperature stress.

Soil conditions should be properly managed to save the plant. You may use loam soil for the plantation. The soil should be neutral and conserved full of nutrients inside it so that a continuous supply of nutrient materials is ensured.

Again, low humidity can be managed by using a humidifier. You can measure the soil moisture and then increase the soil humidity with a humidifier. Besides, sprinkling water in the leaves will also reduce the negative impact of dry air. Another way of conserving soil moisture can be using mulches like water hyacinths.

Nutrient deficiency is a hazardous factor for the plant. To remove the deficiency, you can use fish meal, bone meal, mustard oil cake, and other liquid fertilizers available in the market.

2. Winter Damage

Winter damage means the problems that a Princeton gold maple faces during the frost. It becomes pale and the water gets frozen. As a result, the tree cannot uptake water and a physiological drought or water shortage is created. Sometimes the leaves get winter burnt where the frost falls.

Causes

The actual cause of winter damage is the too-low temperature in the winter season. Snowfall or frost hampers the plant badly. As a result, the plant cannot complete its normal life cycle properly.

Control Measures

Try to keep your plant in a warm place. If possible, bring it inside the house during frost. If you have already transplanted in the outside field and impossible to take inside, then cover it with polythene shades and keep watering your plant continuously after regular intervals so that it can take enough water for food-making processes.

3. Root Injury

In this section, I will describe the root injury of the tree. In these unfavorable conditions, the roots get damaged and as a result, the root system gets threatened. As a result, the roots cannot pass enough water to the leaves and the plant becomes demolished. It may lead the plant to death.

Causes

Overwatering may be the main culprit of this problem. When you water too much of your plant, the extra water remains standing in the root zone and it creates a beneficial zone for the pests. As a result, pest attacks occur and roots become devastated.

Control Measure

Don’t water excessively to your plant. You can pinch your finger inside the soil to understand if it needs water or not. Then complete watering. At the same time, make sure that the drainage system is not affected. The excess water should be removed by this drainage channel.

4. Transplant Shock

Transplant shock may turn into a big problem if you are not conscious of it. The plant gets wilted and starts to die sequentially. When you transplant your plant in a new place, it needs some time to adjust to that environment. 

At that time, due to imbalanced conditions, the plant may stop its growth. Else, the shoot may become pale and wilted and the plant cannot survive till last. 

Causes

If you don’t fulfill the environmental and other physiological demands of your plant completely, it won’t get the proper strength to survive in the new condition. This unavailability is expressed as transplant shock.

Control Measures

The plant started its life in a small pot and after transplanting it has to cope with a vast ecology. It becomes a tough job for the plant for the first few days. That’s why, you have to make all the necessary elements like temperature, moisture level, sunlight, watering, and soil condition perfect. 

Judge its improvement regularly and when it starts to grow new foliage and the stems become firm making the shoot larger, then it is understood that it has survived in its new zone.

5. Dieback

Dieback indicates damage to the plant starting from the tip or apex of the plant. The plant apex becomes brown or sometimes black. After a certain time, the brown color or burnt-like look comes downward and spreads in the whole plant causing death to the plant. 

Causes

Poor soil condition is the cause of dieback. Sometimes, you may provide all the elements perfectly, but if the soil condition is not so good, the plant won’t be able to uptake all the other elements properly and will express this problem.

Control Measures

To get rid of the dieback problem, improve the soil condition by adding bone meal or fish meal. Check properly if any soil-borne organisms or other issues are there or not and solve them. You can also mix coco husk for better nutrition properties. 

6. Poor Growth

A Princeton gold maple tree can reach up to 45-60 feet their mature height with large foliage. But this growth gets hampered when it faces problems. Thus, the plant may not grow much and the foliage is not established properly.

Causes

The growth rate of the Princeton gold maple tree becomes slow due to overwatering problems. When you water your plant too much, it creates a hectic condition in the root area. Consequently, the growth rate is hampered.

Control Measures

Never water your plant more than it needs. You can check the entire controlling process from the upper root injury section.

7. Insects

Princeton gold maple tree is susceptible to various insects. Some of those common pests are-

  • Scale
  • Aphid
  • Gall
  • Asian ambrosia beetles

Causes

The beautiful golden foliage of this plant easily attracts many insects. They continue their life cycle in this tree and thus increase the population. 

Control Measures

Several control measures can be used for this plant. First of all, you may remove the insects by hand-picking if they are small in number. In the case of a large population, you can use a heavy water stream for them.

Otherwise, you may try organic and inorganic substances. Inorganic or chemical pesticides may easily remove the insects. But you have to be conscious of using them as they are toxic enough to kill a human being too. If such pesticides are available to you, then you can use them while maintaining all the safety measures described on that bottle.

On the other hand, you can also try organic recipes. I have mentioned some homemade recipes here-

Baking soda solution

Take 4 tablespoons of baking soda to 1 gallon of water. Mix them properly and use them in the tree.

Neem oil recipe 

Take 1 gallon of water and mix 1 teaspoon of concentrated neem oil, a few drops of essential oils, and 2 tablespoons of liquid soap in it. Then spray them after mixing properly. 

8. Diseases

 Some common diseases of a Princeton gold maple tree are-

  • Tar spot
  • Anthracnose
  • Powdery mildew
  • Verticillium wilt
  • Phyllosticta leaf spot

Causes

I have mentioned the name of some insects here. But when the insects bite the plant, wounds are created there. As a result, microorganisms can easily enter through that path and cause diseases.

Control Measures

As the first step, you should remove the affected parts fast so that the disease cannot spread elsewhere. Then use bactericides or fungicides (Our pick) or homemade recipes as I described in the pest section.

How To Revive the Princeton Gold Maple Tree

Pruning

The first step of reviving a Princeton gold maple leaf is pruning. It means the removal of the affected parts of the plant which is created by any means. You should prune all that parts. 

If you see that the foliage is badly affected, then remove almost one-third of the plant which is called rejuvenation. It will provide more strength to the plant to cope with the problems.

Repotting

Repotting is the method of changing the soil of the plant. Though you can do it only in the initial stage of the plant as it is not suitable for the mature tree, it will help the plant to have vigorous growth in the future. 

You can easily get rid of the soil problems if you continue this method. At the plant stage, uproot it from the existing pot without disturbing the root and then plant it in the new soil mixture.

Ways To Prevent Princeton Gold Maple Tree Problems

Planting Disease Resistance Trees

Well, there is no completely disease-resistant variety of Princeton gold maple trees. But some can create their protection against disastrous diseases. You may find that one and plant it in your garden.

Cutting Back

It is a general process to perfectly care for your plant. You can remove the accessory parts every spring so that the tree can get the energy to produce more food from more leaves. Thus, the plant will be more vigorous and strong enough to grow large.

Caring Guides Of Princeton Gold Maple Tree Problems

SunlightBright and direct sunlight 
SoilLoam soil of neutral or acidic pH
Temperature 75-88°F
WateringWhen the soil needs water
Humidity Almost 70%
Transplanting When the plants are around 2-3 feet
Fertilizer Bone meal, fish meal and liquid fertilizers 

FAQs

How long can the Princeton gold maple tree live?

Almost 70-80 years. This plant can grow as a large plant having a height of almost 60 feet. If you can provide its necessary elements properly at a tender age and then take some necessary steps all the time, it may live a long life.

What type of plant is this?

The Princeton gold maple tree is a deciduous plant. It remains yellow in the summer. But the yellow color turns bright golden in spring which is the actual beauty of this plant. But the leaves may drop out in winter due to their deciduous nature.

Is the Princeton gold maple tree a hardy species?

Yeah! The Princeton gold maple tree is a type under Norway maple. It is considered one of the hardiest trees as it can tolerate the severe cold more than other maple trees.

Final Thoughts

Well, it is time to say goodbye. The Princeton gold maple tree problems and the solutions that I explained here were experienced by me. You could have better solutions than mine. 

But if you face such problems which are getting harder for you to solve and find my solutions useful, then you are most welcome to adapt to them. Losing a plant like Princeton gold maple is pathetic. Hence, take care of your plant and get beautiful scenery in your yard.

James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg
James Rivenburg

James Rivenburg is the founder of plantandpest.com, a passionate gardener with valuable experience and knowledge gained through trial and error. The website has a large community of followers who trust his tips and techniques and have succeeded with his advice. He is always Committed to helping others create a beautiful and healthy garden.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *