Acer P leaves

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Good idea to measure temp. This is what i would do (low cost) put a few plants around the pot. For example a few cheap boxwoods. They will create shadow for the pot, greatly reducing heat and by wetting their foliage they will give a few hours of humidity. In summer it is important to keep plants humid and placing them together to protect each other is easy. Following link does explain it all. http://dannybonsaicenterginkgo.skynetblogs.be/archive/2017/06/15/groeiklimaat-8740039.html Even for heat tolerant plants it is better. Translated text going with the link "creating better growing conditions by shading with bigger trees, shading pots with accent plants. Not pretty, but it works."

 

[ConorDash]

Good idea to measure temp. This is what i would do (low cost) put a few plants around the pot. For example a few cheap boxwoods. They will create shadow for the pot, greatly reducing heat and by wetting their foliage they will give a few hours of humidity. In summer it is important to keep plants humid and placing them together to protect each other is easy. Following link does explain it all. http://dannybonsaicenterginkgo.skynetblogs.be/archive/2017/06/15/groeiklimaat-8740039.html Even for heat tolerant plants it is better. Translated text going with the link "creating better growing conditions by shading with bigger trees, shading pots with accent plants. Not pretty, but it works."

For the time being I've put it in a different location in the garden, will get more shade and less wind. It's on a big stump, no where near as hot as concrete.

Also check out the new growth. I'll take a second flush of growth as a good sign of health.. someone can feel free to burst my bubble though lol.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

No bubble to burst.

 

[bonsaichile]

Why do you ask?

Because it looks ugly

 

[ConorDash]

No bubble to burst.

Good.. 1 thing to read the signs, another to be confident in your own knowledge.

I think it'll be happier in its current location. I've basically turned the dial down on everything for it. Less extremes.
We shall see how it goes.

 

[ConorDash]

Just an update on how the leaves are changing..
Areas getting worse than others.

I think I'm more of less resolved to the fact that something else, aside from just climate, is affecting the tree.
So, plan of action is buying some fungicide and insecticide (I don't believe it has an insect problem but might as well go whole hog..) and doing a proper schedule of application. Which I probably should be doing already but you know... one of those things.
Also going to put on a layer <1" of sphag moss. Been suggested by a few.

You'll notice in first pic, new growth deformed and blackening tips.

 

[Rob_phillips]

To me that just looks like leaf scorch to be fair but by all means try everything as you never know

 

[ConorDash]

To me that just looks like leaf scorch to be fair but by all means try everything as you never know

Lol yeah, It does help you saying so. Just I've talked about this tree till blue in the fact with many people's suggestions. Some said DEFINITELY leaf scorch.. some said DEFINITELY NOT leaf scorch lol.
At this point, I'll just try everything. It is already in a better position in the garden to try and avoid leaf scorch any way.
Gonna also put on the sphagnum moss.

 

[dirk hoorelbeke]

Better safe than sorry. It's nice to see a progression of the damage. Hoping everything will turn out alright.

 

[Gustavo Martins]

My A. palmatum has no problems on its leaves and it's a bit warmer here... I have it by a larger mulberry so that during the hotter part of the day, in only gets filtered/flickering sunlight. It also stays in the shadow after 2 pm onwards... I also have some kind of moss I collected and a very draining soil. Not sure what, but I must be doing something right. My guess is that it is taking too much direct sunlight. Put it under some larger tree.

My tridents, on the other hand, do get some of their leaf tips burned like those you showed. They are crispy and break where you pass your fingers. But these are in full sun in plain potting soil in larger pots for thickening. Despite the burnt tips the tridents look healthy and are growing vigorously.

Hope that helps.

 

[drew33998]

Im getting a second flush on my maples too. I dont think you have any issues to worry about. As was said there re many factors that cause maple leaves to die in areas etc. Im wondering what others think about summer fertilizing of trees especially with chemical ferts. I get a hell of a lot more sun than you but i dont fertilise anything deciduous from mid june unil september. My tropicals and junipers get slow release every couple months and organics once a month. Last year i dumped a half cup of osmocoat on a 1 gallon juniper to see if i could overfertilize with the stuff. Didnt seem to affect it at all. Your maple looks good though.

 

[M. Frary]

i dont fertilise anything deciduous from mid june unil september

I don't fertilize anything from November until the end of April.

 

[ConorDash]

My A. palmatum has no problems on its leaves and it's a bit warmer here... I have it by a larger mulberry so that during the hotter part of the day, in only gets filtered/flickering sunlight. It also stays in the shadow after 2 pm onwards... I also have some kind of moss I collected and a very draining soil. Not sure what, but I must be doing something right. My guess is that it is taking too much direct sunlight. Put it under some larger tree.

My tridents, on the other hand, do get some of their leaf tips burned like those you showed. They are crispy and break where you pass your fingers. But these are in full sun in plain potting soil in larger pots for thickening. Despite the burnt tips the tridents look healthy and are growing vigorously.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for your comment. Yeah I have moved it to a better place where it'll get shade, not in the full sun like it was. Although damage has been done now but I think this is a better place for it. It is also on top of a large stump not concrete and it has a top layer of chopped sphagnum on its substrate.
It is very well draining substrate at the moment, 100% inorganic clay granules (cat litter). It's drenched everyday till water runs through. I am going to water a bit less now that it has moss on top, I don't want it to stay soggy.
I'm not sure if mine, despite the crispy leaves, is growing well or not. Someone more experienced will have to tell me that.

Im getting a second flush on my maples too. I dont think you have any issues to worry about. As was said there re many factors that cause maple leaves to die in areas etc. Im wondering what others think about summer fertilizing of trees especially with chemical ferts. I get a hell of a lot more sun than you but i dont fertilise anything deciduous from mid june unil september. My tropicals and junipers get slow release every couple months and organics once a month. Last year i dumped a half cup of osmocoat on a 1 gallon juniper to see if i could overfertilize with the stuff. Didnt seem to affect it at all. Your maple looks good though.

Thank you, that boasts my confidence a bit. I realise now how sensitive these leaves are. I believe fertilising from bud break till end of growth is my current schedule.

 

[Rob_phillips]

I would still water it every day if i were you its in free draining soil so its not easy to over water it but it is easy to under water it.

 

[ConorDash]

I would still water it every day if i were you its in free draining soil so its not easy to over water it but it is easy to under water it.

Fair enough, I thought that the moss would keep it wet and by watering more it'd keep it wet often, which is not good.
It will drain well, but due to the moss it won't evaporate as much as normal, so do you think it will still drain enough to not be too wet?

 

[Rob_phillips]

Fair enough, I thought that the moss would keep it wet and by watering more it'd keep it wet often, which is not good.
It will drain well, but due to the moss it won't evaporate as much as normal, so do you think it will still drain enough to not be too wet?

Your substraight will only absorb as much as it can the rest just pores out of the drainage of the pot so i wouldent worry to much about over watering it especially now its summer.

 

[ConorDash]

Your substraight will only absorb as much as it can the rest just pores out of the drainage of the pot so i wouldent worry to much about over watering it especially now its summer.

Yeah, this is the reason I used it on all trees. I read that information mostly from WP before adopting it.
The addition of the moss though, is something which I was unclear on how it would affect my substrate and watering. But perhaps it doesn't affect it at all, in terms of frequency of watering

 

[MichaelS]

That medium will have zero CHC. It means that you need to be extremely careful with fertilizing. I would suggest you should switch to a hydroponic fertilizer until you repot it back into a medium which is more natural for maples. ie Something with peat and preferably a bit of clay as well (akadama or similar) A low CHC can very easily lead to ammonium toxicity so use an all (or mostly) nitrate feed and feed according to instructions - which will mean at every watering but at a controlled rate. I also see thrips damage an various nutritional disorders in the older leaves. These modern mixes are to be avoided unless you really know how to manage them.

 

[ConorDash]

That medium will have zero CHC. It means that you need to be extremely careful with fertilizing. I would suggest you should switch to a hydroponic fertilizer until you repot it back into a medium which is more natural for maples. ie Something with peat and preferably a bit of clay as well (akadama or similar) A low CHC can very easily lead to ammonium toxicity so use an all (or mostly) nitrate feed and feed according to instructions - which will mean at every watering but at a controlled rate. I also see thrips damage an various nutritional disorders in the older leaves. These modern mixes are to be avoided unless you really know how to manage them.

I've never had that pointed out before. For now all my trees will have to stay in this mix, there's no choice in that so I'll have to manage it.
What's CHC?
My current mix is all clay fired granules. I use organic pellets on them, then weekly liquid fert, all purpose one with some seaweed extract also.
I fert weekly due to the inorganic mix, it'll run through very easily and quickly. Part of WP's teachings about watering + agreesive fertilising.
I'm sure there are many ways to go about the same thing, some working and some not. Still all about learning for me.

During the next repot cycle, I planned on introducing some parts organic in to the mix, whilst still mostly inorganic. Probably chopped bark, maybe 25%, 75% inorganic DE (cat litter).
But it's a way off, I could learn something better along the way.

 

[Rob_phillips]

I've never had that pointed out before. For now all my trees will have to stay in this mix, there's no choice in that so I'll have to manage it.
What's CHC?
My current mix is all clay fired granules. I use organic pellets on them, then weekly liquid fert, all purpose one with some seaweed extract also.
I fert weekly due to the inorganic mix, it'll run through very easily and quickly. Part of WP's teachings about watering + agreesive fertilising.
I'm sure there are many ways to go about the same thing, some working and some not. Still all about learning for me.

During the next repot cycle, I planned on introducing some parts organic in to the mix, whilst still mostly inorganic. Probably chopped bark, maybe 25%, 75% inorganic DE (cat litter).
But it's a way off, I could learn something better along the way.

You should use more akadama and mix that with your molor clay.
Its what you will find most on here put in there mix for deciduous trees mix 2 or 3 parts akadama with one part molar or use boons mix just add an extra akadama part.