Japanese Maples

Hello all.

I was wondering if anyone could give me some guidance on caring for these trees in pots. I have several varieties of these in pots. Two were bought as decent size trees and have grown quite large in large pots. The others were bought as the £4 small trees and have now grown to medium size plants, about two feet wide. in smaller pots. They are 4 to 7 years old.

When i first bought them, I watered very sparingly as i heard they dont like to be over watered. I learnt, subsequently, that it was incorrect to just provide a small quantity of water. They still did ok ish, until late summers when there was some foliage burn. I further researched and increased watering and added sulphate of iron, seaweed feed and one application of bonemeal at the start of spring, as advised by a garden centre. They advised that the whole rootball should be made wet with excess draining away. Still there is some leaf burn every year which i remove. Not all the leaves burn.

I have been watering heavy until water seeps out of the pots nearly every week, sometimes more often when the summers have been hotter and less when cooler.

All these trees are in sheltered, as much as possible, positions but there is really no way to prevent a strong wind getting to them some how, to some extent. There is no way to prevent some hot sun during some of the time

Is this reasonably good care regime or is there something I am missing or doing wrong? Can this leaf burn be avoided or is some still going to occur?

Thank you kindly.

 

@dinp
I suspect that it is the wind causing the problems. Mine grow in the ground, but I always get some leaf burn due to the wind; worse when we have a cold easterly from the sea. The more finely divided the leaves are the more prone to wind burn they are. I think you may have to live with it unfortunately.

 

Thank you. Reply is much appreciated.

 

its all about the variety, and there are so many of them, different zones etc. I love looking at the J. Maple info to find the unique that can handle my climate.

 

The secret is to water the roots NOT the plant. However, Acers do prefer a sheltered position.

 

Agree with Daitheplant, am sure my Acer died because the neighbour thought he was doing me a favour by often watering with a hose pipe sprinker from over head.

Am sure the leaves do not like cold tap water straight on them.

 

Thank you all. Much appreciated.