Silver Maple Water Requirements

Water Requirement

• The silver maple has a requirement for regular irrigation as the tree grows on moist, fertile soil along rivers and streams in its native habitat. The tree does not thrive in high mountain regions, growing best only in amply moist soils. Silver maple tolerates brief periods of flooding but consistently wet or flooded ground affect growth. If not grown in moist soil, silver maple trees are highly prone to drought stress and chlorosis.

Watering Method

• To keep tree adequately watered, irrigate the tree slowly in order to moisten the soil as deep as 1 1/2 to 2 feet. Make sure that the ground is not saturated. If the tree is planted in compacted soil, aerate the ground to improve water penetration. The soil in the entire root zone of the tree should be kept well-moistened.

Poor Watering Disorder

• When silver maples are not adequately watered, it can lead to a condition referred to as chlorosis. This is actually a deficiency of mineral nutrients in the tree. Excessively dry soil is among the causes of chlorosis because even if the mineral nutrients are present in the soil, the tree is unable to utilize them because they are not in a solution or moisture. This makes the roots unable to absorb the nutrients. The condition is frequently seen in silver maple trees where certain portions of the roots zones are not being watered regularly because they are lying under driveways or dry lots.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of iron cholorosis include the yellow-green color of the foliage. The areas between the veins start to yellow, while the veins remain dark green. In severe cases, leaves turn light yellow with brown spots between the veins. The margins of foliage turn brown and leaves start dry and fall. If not corrected in time, severity of symptoms leads to stunted tree growth and branch dieback.