Acer leaves browning and curling

Help!

We planted a japanese acer 'bloodgood' a few months ago but the leaves are curling up and going brown at the ends. Can anyone tell me what might be causing this?

Thanks

 

There are many things that could be causing this. Tell us more about where it is planted, your soil conditions what your weather has been like,etc and let us see a pic if possible

 

Hi

Thanks for coming back on this.

Its planted in a part shaded, part sunny corner of the garden. It can get a bit windy in the garden so don't know if this might be a factor. It was planted in a new bed, in multi-purpose compost dug into gritty, well drained soil.

It has swung between very moist and quite dry conditions these past few months and i am not sure if i should water it more often?

 

The gritty well drained soil is good
The part shaded part sunny is fine
The 'windy' could well be part of the problem as Japanese maples like a sheltered site, and winds can cause the leaves to dry up
The deviation from very moist to quite dry is NOT good. Japanese maples need a CONSTANT moisture content in well drained soil
If you can keep that constancy (especially with a newly planted tree) you will be half way there. Indeed, any tree newly planted needs constant watering for at least its first year to enable the roots to establish
The combination of that and the wind is probably the reason for the stress in the tree

 

Thanks so much for that info. I'll get right on the regular watering - not sure i can do much about the windy conditions though!

 

You could always stand in front of it when it is windy

 

whis4ey

The same thing has happened to mine which is planted in ericacious compost in a pot! just in the last few days.

I'm thinking of repotting it into a bigger pot? what compost shall I buy?

Thanks

 

I mix some fine bark into my compost to help aid drainage. The compost you have will be fine
Don't pot into too large a pot. If you do, there is a danger that the soil around the roots will get too wet, as the roots have not spread into it to use the moisture up
You should only pot up when the roots have outgrown the existing pot

 

Thanks I'll go and check the root system, if it's not that what do you think could be the cause?

 

The same comments as I made to Cat
What are your own thoughts?
You are the one who knows where it is planted and the conditions it has been enduring.
Give me a clue.......

 

Japanese acers are renowned for scorched leaves. This is usually caused if the plant is in a draughty position and will occur wether it is hot or cold, as long as there is a breeze or wind. David.

 

Thanks whis4ey, mine is in a very similar position to Cat, it is on the patio where it gets sun and shade and it is quite shelterd, I think maybe it has been the changes in the weather. I checked the root sytem and it hasn't out grown the pot so I'll keep watering in this hot spell.

I have another well established acer in a different part of the garden which is absolutely fine.

 

What??
You are having a hot spell??
You lucky thing
We are simply having rain, rain, and rain
Some of my own acers are drying up on the leaf edges
We haven't been having a normal summer here, so one has to expect some signs of stress in these plants