Green Jpanese Maple pot size for growing

[remist17]

I picked up two green japanese maples that are currently in regular dirt and in 4 inch pots. They are about 24 to 29 inches tall and around a pencil size in trunk diameter. I understand that I should put them in the ground to grow, but I put one in the ground and the leaves are shriviling. I think it might be in sun shock? Has all day direct sun. I really dont want to put the other two in the ground and have the same thing happen.

My question is is a 15" anderson flat to big for these trees for grow boxes? Or is a 10" bulb pot better?

I would like to grow them out for another two or three years and do not have any shady spots for ground planting.

 

[fourteener]

Jap Maples are an understory tree. They don't want full sun for the most part. Some varieties can take more than others. Your tree in the ground needs to be moved to a shady spot. They also need less water when they are in the ground. Watering them once a week would be all it needs for a couple of months.

 

[0soyoung]

Generic green acer palmatum should be able to cope with full sun, but the sunnier/hotter it is the more important is protection from breezes/winds. Without getting all pedantic about it, I agree with your 'sun shock' explanation. The one you planted in the ground should leaf out again and do well, even though it may take about 6 weeks to do so.

The problem with growing out in a container is stabilizing the roots - leafs at the opposite end of a tall stick have quite a bit of leverage. It is essential to have a fairly rigid container and, even then, it may be necessary to add guy wires or the like. I don't think an Anderson flat will work out well for this purpose, but you might be able to work out somethng by guying to boards attached underneith, along two edges of the flat, say.

 

[JudyB]

You could always get some shade cloth and erect a frame so you can still grow in ground...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

My J. Maples in the ground do pretty good in full sun...

 

[Dav4]

Fwiw, Acer palmatums can take full sun here in metro Atlanta. This picture of my back yard was taken at 2:30 pm today...92F...they are in the sun from noon to 4-5 pm. These semi dwarf varieties were all in 1 - 2 gal pots when planted 4 summers ago and have absolutely loved it here...the red variety A.p "pixie" is over 5 feet tall now...started at about a foot.

 

[remist17]

The maple that is in the ground is a red japanese maple. I am not sure exactly what type. I planted it in the ground on Friday the 7th. We had a few days of hot sun then I saw the leaves start to wilt and shrivel. I had watered it every two days until the rains came. We are getting rain every two or three days now. Even with the rain and partial sun the leaves have not recovered. My thoughts were the guy selling the trees removed them from the ground a day or two before the sale. The yard that the trees were picked up at only saw morning sun if that. This is what lead me to my assumption of sun burn leaves. Moving the tree from partial sun to full sun within two or three days.

Should I remove this from the area and put in the shade? OR let it be and see what happens.
My wife will not be to happy if I put a shade cloth over the garden....

The maples in the grow boxes:
I have three wood boxes made up already that are made from 5/4x6 deck boards with good holes for drainage. These are 14x12 or so. Should I use these as grow boxes?

 

[coh]

June 7 is kind of late to be planting trees in the ground in my opinion, especially if you think the root system may have been compromised (by recent digging, for example). What did the roots look like? Did the root/soil mass hold together, or fall apart? Were the roots actively growing?

If it were my tree...I probably would not have planted it in the ground this late, at most I would have potted it up to the next size pot and then planted in the ground next spring.

If the root system was very weak at planting time, I'd strongly consider digging it up and placing in a pot where I could control the amount of sun, wind, etc. Will be interested to see what others think.

Chris

 

[0soyoung]

My opinion is leave it where it is and don't mess any more with the roots this season! Presently it has no (functional) leaves and, therefore, isn't going to dessicate seriously. Meanwhile it has time to grow some new hair roots, if you leave it be.

My basic reasoning is:

• If it never leafs out again it is only because it is already (as good as) dead.
• If new leaves emerge and then, in a matter of days, wilt and flame out, your tree has no roots (still).
• Digging it up and putting it back into a pot again is just another opportunity to destroy new roots.

But, since you have several trees (green and red, right?) try some different things to see if your anxieties/worries are warranted or not, or just to enjoy finding something out on you own.

 

[cmeg1]

You can grow out in containers just fine.I would gradually increase the size or start out in colanders.If you start in too big a container ,you will get large runaway roots,This may not be a problem for the more experienced root pruners,but you should control runaway roots.I prefer to plant in colanders.You definately should probably get them to one gallon size before planting in the ground.I only have experience in colanders,they do air prune quite nicely and when you finally do root prune ( which can be two years in a colander) it is a breeze.

 

[coh]

My opinion is leave it where it is and don't mess any more with the roots this season! Presently it has no (functional) leaves and, therefore, isn't going to dessicate seriously. Meanwhile it has time to grow some new hair roots, if you leave it be.

My basic reasoning is:

• If it never leafs out again it is only because it is already (as good as) dead.
• If new leaves emerge and then, in a matter of days, wilt and flame out, your tree has no roots (still).
• Digging it up and putting it back into a pot again is just another opportunity to destroy new roots.

Normally I would agree with you (i.e. leave it alone), but it's only been in the ground for 4 or 5 days. So I think digging and repotting is a viable option. The stress of being in full sun with a compromised root system may just be too much for the plant to overcome (once it does push new leaves).

Hopefully the original poster will let us know how it does.

 

[remist17]

Thank you all for the help. I decided to pull the tree and put it in a grow pot. I had a 10" bulb pan not being used. I put the tree in some good soil and I put it in the shade.

The root ball was loose when it was first put in the ground which lead me to my thoughts that it was recently potted. I did not mess with it to much when I pulled it out of the ground. I put the ground dirt in with the soil mix.

The tree cost me $2 bucks so if it dies Im not out huge money. the tree is had a pencil size trunk so I thought good buy.

The two green maples will go into grow pots. I order two 15" andeson flats that I thought was the best buy for the pot.