Help with Japanese Maple...

Discussion in 'General Gardening Discussion' started by helen, Jul 17, 2010.

  1. helen

    helen Gardener

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    Hi everyone

    I bought a japanese maple (dissectum garnet) about 4 months ago and it's looking pretty distressed (to say the least).A combination of stress and too much sun on the young leaves resulted in the leaves burning and drying up.However it's been inside now for about 3 months and some of the leaves are turning green,the most damaged are dropping off and there seems to be no improvement in it's sorry state.... :(

    Will it recover ? Should I be doing something else to help it ? I read somewhere it could take a year for a maple to get over such stress...

    Would appreciate any ideas on this..

    Thanks

    [​IMG]


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    and

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  2. whis4ey

    whis4ey Head Gardener

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    Inside isn't a good idea
    Leave it outside in a cool sheltered spot and ensure that the soil is kept moist (not wet)
    Avoid a windy spot, or a strong sun
    These plants have a second bud which will replace the lost leaves if conditions are right
    It will recover if you don't try to mollycoddle it too much, whilst ensuring that it has adequate (but not too much) moisture
     
  3. helen

    helen Gardener

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    Hello

    Thanks for your quick reply

    I understand it's an outdoor plant but my problem is : my patio is in full sun all day, there's hardly any shade at all and the only place that gets a little shade is the draftiest part... bit of a dilemma here ...

    Should I put it outside regardless and let it get on with it ?
     
  4. Alice

    Alice Gardener

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    Hi Helen, indoors in front of a radiator is just no place for a maple.
    As Whis4ey says, it need to be outdoors in a sheltered position without too much direct light.
    If there's nowhere you can provide those conditions is there someone you could give it to who could give the plant a chance.
     
  5. helen

    helen Gardener

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    Don't worry the radiator is not on ! We're having a heatwave at the moment outside in the direct sun it's about 50°c..!!!... it's there to protect it from the heat/sun....
    but I take the point : outside not in...
     
  6. rickfc

    rickfc Apprentice Gardener

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    I love J. Maples. I have a fantastic one. It is my second one, the first one died within two years. I do not know why. Sometimes you just have to let nature take it's course. Mine gets about 5 hours sun early in the day. Good luck with yours. Rick
    nature-garden.yolasite.com
     
  7. whis4ey

    whis4ey Head Gardener

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    Buy your tree an umbrella and protect it from the sun during the day :)
    Seriously ... what I mean is .... provide it with some form of shade, should it be from a taller plant or even, as suggested, an umbrella
     
  8. helen

    helen Gardener

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    Sounds funny but it's a good idea !
    It's either that or I give it to someone else and I don't want to do that, I like it too much :)
    So umbrella it is... (unless I can figure out some other kind of protection)

    Thanks for your advice
     
  9. helen

    helen Gardener

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    Thanks I'm gonna figure out how to protect it from the sun and see what happens.... fingers crossed !
     
  10. Doghouse Riley

    Doghouse Riley Head Gardener

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    Not being a gardening expert, neither of my two have ever been in the shade having been positioned "where I want them," rather than "where they should be." they get pretty much full sun all the time. But I water the garden every day it isn't raining and on hot days I always give the foliage a spray around mid afternoon.
    The larger of the two is over twenty years old and nearly ten feet across despite being trimmed back each year. (They both need a bit of a "top trim" soon, to retain the smooth "dome shape" I like, I use shears!)
    As you can see despite a few weeks of hot sun recently, there's no sign of burning on the leaves today. Though I must confess the smaller of the two is only a few years old, being a replacement for one that inexplicably died over one winter.
    These and my rodos and azeleas get the benefit of the dregs from my koi pool sump each week when I purge the drain, they like the "fish pee" as it is a bit acidic.

    [​IMG]

    Bit of lawn repair underneath it where the blackbirds and squirrels like to dig.

    [​IMG]
     
  11. helen

    helen Gardener

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  12. busybee

    busybee Gardener

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    Hi,

    I had the same problem with mine last year. I bought it in june and a month or so later it looked like yours did. It was mostly in the shade but near the side of the house where the wind would whip down and get at it. I wasn't very good at watering it and it dropped nearly all its leaves after they were burnt (prob by wind rather than sun).
    I left it as it was (although i watered it more often later in the summer after the leaves had dropped/burnt) and hoped for the best.
    This year i have watered it nearly every day (likes moist but well drained soil apparently) and it looks fab! Its really grown, all the leaves are in great condition, no burns at all - and its on a south facing patio. So for me, the key is to water well but ensure it can drain well too.
    Wis4ey seems to know his stuff, helped me last year (thanks by the way!)
     
  13. helen

    helen Gardener

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    Hi there

    It's good to hear that I'm not the only one to have the same problem and more importantly that it can recover !
    I'll do my best and hope that next year it picks up...

    Thanks for your success story !
     
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