Sycamores with small leaves

[Spideylj]

Hiya Everyone,

 

I'm from the north-west and we're starting to notice that quite a few sycamores are leafing ok but the leaves are really small.  At first it seemed to be just street trees that were affected so we put it down to lack of water etc.  but now we are seeing it in garden trees as well where they should get enough water and nutrients.

 

Those that have had the small leaves for more than one season seem to start showing signs of crown dieback.  Can't find any fungus, trees aren't hollowing out, no bleeding.  Anyone any ideas???

 

Cheers

[Chris at eden]

Any pics? 

 

[Spideylj]

I'll get some when I'm out and about.

[skyhuck]

I think its due to drought, its been incredibly dry for nearly 2 years. I've never known the land so dry.

[Chris at eden]

An issue with the rooting zone would be the first thing to check.  Drought, compaction, recent building, etc. 

[Mick Dempsey]

Those things grow out of cracks in paving slabs, I find it difficult to believe (in the north of England) they’d really suffer from drought.

[Stubby]

2 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Those things grow out of cracks in paving slabs, I find it difficult to believe (in the north of England) they’d really suffer from drought.

Got one growing out of a crack in my patio that gets strimmed down every year . Hard a nails it is .

[skyhuck]

1 minute ago, Mick Dempsey said:

Those things grow out of cracks in paving slabs, I find it difficult to believe (in the north of England) they’d really suffer from drought.

Its generally very wet around here, but the last couple of years have been very, very dry.

 

Earlier this year I took my mog and trailer down a normal wet field, full of rushes, I don't reckon I could have done that since maybe 1976? I loaded up 3 sycamores, and drove out, my wheels were spinning a bit, bouncing of the hard ground, because its very steep, but there was no sinking in at all.

[Mick Dempsey]

3 minutes ago, skyhuck said:

Its generally very wet around here, but the last couple of years have been very, very dry.

 

Earlier this year I took my mog and trailer down a normal wet field, full of rushes, I don't reckon I could have done that since maybe 1976? I loaded up 3 sycamores, and drove out, my wheels were spinning a bit, bouncing of the hard ground, because its very steep, but there was no sinking in at all.

Still, having worked in London (last century) where they set up home anywhere and everywhere, it is hard to picture them as anything but resilient.

Edited July 18, 2019 by Mick Dempsey

[skyhuck]

2 hours ago, EdwardC said:

As a tree officer I guess you know a sycamore when you see a sycamore. However, there are cultivars and varieties of sycamore, and other species of maple that look at first sight like sycamore, which have smaller leaves.  Here in Cumbria, which was, when I last checked, in the north west of England, sycamore look like normal.

What all of them?