Japanese Red Maple Advice (Bonsai Beginner)

[dunha2j]

I recently bought a Japanese Shin Deshojo Red Maple bonsai.

This'll be my first Bonsai tree so I'm looking for any advice on how to take care of it! I've had it for close to a week and can tell the leaves are starting to droop on it or curl up, so maybe I'm doing something wrong?

To give some context in case it's important, I live in Northern Michigan.

How I have been taking care of it:
Originally, I was keeping it inside, but I was reading that it should be outdoors and not kept inside for it stay healthy. However, temperatures outside have occasionally been getting into the freezing range, so I've been bringing it inside to avoid frost overnight. The soil it's potted in is fast draining so I try to water it once a day. Also, I try to keep it more in the shade than direct sunlight.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated, but these were some questions I had....

Questions:
1. I was reading that I should only be giving the plant rainwater, and if I do give it tap water, that I should let the water sit for 24hrs prior to giving it to the plant?
2. Should I be keeping the plant in the shade? From what I was reading, Japanese red maples only like direct sunlight for a few hours out of the day....
3. As I mentioned, the pot it came in has a rockier soil that is fast draining. Should it be growing in a different kind of soil?
4. Any suggestions on resources or guides to taking care of a Japanese Red Maple?

Thanks!

 

[gooeytek]

Rainwater is best, aged water works too.
A few hours of early sun, shade/indirect for the most part.
Keep the fast-draining soil, but augment it with some organic material so it's not too coarse.
They like soil that's slightly on the acidic side.
I like to re-use spent coffee grounds from my French press and put them in the water I use for my plants and trees that have mulch around them.

 

[The Warm Canuck]

I recently bought a Japanese Shin Deshojo Red Maple bonsai.

This'll be my first Bonsai tree so I'm looking for any advice on how to take care of it! I've had it for close to a week and can tell the leaves are starting to droop on it or curl up, so maybe I'm doing something wrong?

To give some context in case it's important, I live in Northern Michigan.

How I have been taking care of it:
Originally, I was keeping it inside, but I was reading that it should be outdoors and not kept inside for it stay healthy. However, temperatures outside have occasionally been getting into the freezing range, so I've been bringing it inside to avoid frost overnight. The soil it's potted in is fast draining so I try to water it once a day. Also, I try to keep it more in the shade than direct sunlight.

Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated, but these were some questions I had....

Questions:
1. I was reading that I should only be giving the plant rainwater, and if I do give it tap water, that I should let the water sit for 24hrs prior to giving it to the plant?
2. Should I be keeping the plant in the shade? From what I was reading, Japanese red maples only like direct sunlight for a few hours out of the day....
3. As I mentioned, the pot it came in has a rockier soil that is fast draining. Should it be growing in a different kind of soil?
4. Any suggestions on resources or guides to taking care of a Japanese Red Maple?

Thanks!

Do you have a picture?

 

[RKatzin]

Without seeing the tree, there are some things apparent. I'm going to guess your tree is going through the usual transitional stress.
I have a lot of maples, about twenty cultivars and many seedlings, all dwelling in just pumice with a top dressing of sphagnum moss. They get direct sunlight from sun up till between 11:00AM- 2:00PM. Trees are placed according to ability to handle the sun. The most sensitive getting the shade first and the more hardy getting more time in the sun. The reds are all on the outer edge, some enjoying the sun all the doodah day. Now I'm talking about trees established in the pot, not just repotted, chopped, or shipped. I'm in SW Oregon, so we're not far off the latitude.

 

[Shibui]

The difference between tap water and rain water is usually chlorine and/or pH. Sitting tap water for 24 hours will not affect pH. It only lets chlorine evaporate.
Chlorine does not seem to affect plants so water straight from the tap will not hurt your trees. Use rain water if you wish but the only benefit is it may be lower pH depending where you live. In some places rain water could have very low pH that could even affect plant growth (search acid rain for more)

Drooping and curled leaves is much more likely to be dehydration. Maples generally need good soil moisture levels. Really open, well draining soil mixes don't hold much water so you may need to water a couple of times each day and sometimes more if it gets real hot (does that even happen in Michigan?) Could moisture availability be an issue? Need to remember back a few weeks for causes as some don't show up immediately.
There are a couple of other problems that cause JM to grow misshaped leaves. Bugs feeding on the emerging shots and fungal infection are a couple of common issues. Pictures may help decide what is happening to yours.

 

[dunha2j]

Thank you everyone for responding to my original post, sorry it's taken me so long to respond, but I've taken some photos of the tree.

I did bring it into a botanical shop and he said the main issue was that I had the pot sitting in a bowl, not allowing the water to drain.... I've been watering it once a day and making sure the water drains.

You can notice some of the leaves are darker than others or almost look blackened. However, the tree continues to grow new leaves and I believe the roots are starting to expand a bit.

 

[ERClover]

I’m not one of the more experienced folks on the forum but I feel I have a few observations that may be helpful and anyone can please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Leaf curl/lack of turgidity - definitely looks like no more than a thirsty tree. You have correctly already come to the conclusion that the tree should not be kept inside. There is no such thing as an “indoor” tree. Some tropicals and hardier species can be successfully maintained and even grown indoors, but maples of any variety are not among them.

Leaf color - observe the spectrum of colors across the board on your tree and you will see that there is a gradient corresponding to size. The newest, smallest and youngest leaves are the brightest red whereas the largest are starting to take on the greenish hue. It is likely the coloration has more to do with that than any kind of hardship your tree is experiencing. If you are confident in the cultivar you cited this tree being it might be worth looking up a mature example to see what the final, hardened off leaf color looks like.

Overall this tree certainly doesn’t look like it’s on death’s door or anything so dramatic as that. Get it outside in some good sun and maintain the watering regimen in the free draining soil it’s in and it will likely be right on track.

The only other thing I will add is a classic rookie bonsai mistake is putting a tree as young as this in a pot as small as you have this early on. It will drastically slow the growth and development of your tree, leaving you with little more than the whip with some branches you have now for a long, long time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that by the way. But most times it is a case of putting the cart before the horse and wanting that bonsai look as soon as possible but with a tree that isn’t really anywhere close to “ready” yet.

 

[Orion_metalhead]

1. Tree is fine.
2. Next year pot it into something more shallow but wide to let it gain growth.
3. It is not a "Japanese Red Maple" it is just a Japanese Maple or Acer Palmatum.
4. Light frost damage can have that curling affect on new growth so that is my assumption. Looks healthy though!