Acer tips and advice

Hi

I have just bought an Acer Palmatum d. Crimson Princess (that's what the label says!)

Does anyone have a tips or advice for keeping it happy and alive? My mum and step-dad actually bought it for me so i really really don't want it to die!!

At the moment it is potted up and is around 2.5-3ft tall.

Thanks!

 

I was told to leave mine in the pot and move it around the garden untill I found a spot that suited it. I know they dont like windy areas.

 

I have 5 Acer trees planted at the front of my garden including Crimson King. They are very exposed and get the brunt of the easterly winds. The soil is poor and dry but they all do well. Not that I recommend you look for a place like this but just to let you know they are very hardy. They do grow into very large trees

 

Woops sorry. Wrong tree Wrong advice.

Yours does need shelter or it will burn. I find they do well in a slightly shaded position too.


Sorry about that:o

 

Hi busybee,

Whether you're keeping it in the pot or planting out it should ideally be kept out of direct sunlight and out of any strong winds. Keep it watered and fed when neccessary, prune for shape and enjoy!

 

im having nothing but problems with my acers.... but the one from morrisons is great - go figure....
Come to think of it i dont think acers are my thing , along with mushrooms.....

 

thanks everyone. How do i actually go about pruning it? When do prune it?

 

Busybee, don't try to prune the poor thing
These trees take up terrific shapes all by themselves if left alone
The only exception is the pruning away of crossing branches in the middle of the tree to (open it up a little) and this is best done during winter when you can see the branch shapes better
If it is left in a pot a weak feed once a year is all it needs. make sure it is well drained, and keep it out of the winds
We seldom get strong sunlight here, but if, by chance, you happen to get a day or two buy the tree an umbrella
Incidentally ... Crimson Princess is not the name of any Japanese maple that I have ever heard of. There is one called Crimson Prince which is apparently similar to a Bloodgood, and a Crimson Queen which is a red lace leaf, both of which are Japanese maples. Crimson King, (the Norway maple) whilst an acer, is not a Japanese maple as Rylesgranny correctly points out, and well done to her for so quickly correcting her advice
Addendum:
I have check all of my maple library and find no mention of a Crimson Princess
A web search however eventually has found a tree with that name listed with Burncoose Nurseries http://www.burncoose.co.uk/site/plants.cfm?pl_id=87&fromplants=%5Fcr%3DGA1%26pl%5Fid%3D74
To me it looks very like a Crimson Queen with a different name. I can find no other reference to the tree or information on how it might differ from Crimson Queen. Nevertheless it certainly looks like a very beautiful plant

 

Thank you Sam, you seem very knowledgable on these trees!
The label definitely says 'Crimson Princess CK' (not sure what the CK bit means?) but it sounds like the one you have described as the Crimson Queen, with the lacy leaves. It is very pretty - i love it!
My mum seems to think it will lose its leaves - is this true?
Where can i read up on the tree or do you not mind me asking you lots of questions? :o

PS the label also says - broad-rounded habit (what does that mean?)
Branches often layered or sweeping toward the ground in weeping cultivars. Narrowly lobed leaves are often dissected creating a lacy appearance. Vigorous weeping habit. Cut leaf foliage emerges red, turning bronze in summer. Ht 2.5m

 

Yes .. it will lose its leaves in winter
Broad rounded habit means that it will grow to look like these pictures, although you should understand that these pics are of a tree in the ground and the most mature is about 12 years old (this tree is Crimson Queen)
http://www.fujiyamagarden.com/page17c2.html

 

Hi there. Just tought I would share with you a pic of the japanese maple I have thats in a pot. It has been in the same pot for 7 or 8 years now and as you can see is doing quite well. It is quite a large pot and very heavy so it doesn't get moved very often. It's also in the sun during the afternoon and although it can get a little bit dried out on the tips of the leaves it never gets really scruffy looking so i guess it likes it there. LOL it looks like that hair advert on telly the one with the train that says not to break up with your hair hehehehehehehehe.

 

Thank you both - both of your trees look lovely!! I hope my grows up big and strong!! So they really don't grow too big then do they? I think i will keep mine in the pot so i can take it if i move house!!

Sam i was looking at your other pics and your maple(s) is really lovely! I didn't realise all the different colours that occur so it will be nice to see the tree change over the next 12 months - thank you

 

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Japan/Japanese-Maple-Care/1545

Sam (or anyone else actually!), is this advice correct??

 

These trees can grow quite large, but if you are keeping it in a pot then you won't have such a great problem with this
The advice you have referred to seems to be a little overboard to me, but basically it is, I suppose, correct enough. What i mean by that is that if I were to have read that before I started collecting japanese maples I might well never have started

 

Thank you for all your help! I will read up what that website says and if i'm not sure, i may just ask you even more questions - so long as you don't mind:o

Thanks again!!