New Japanese Maple Tree

[junmilo]

I recently found an ad online selling some 3 feet tall Japanese Maple for only 25 dollars each...so i took the chance and went to grab it. it is labeled as "Acer Atropurpureum Leaves are doubly serrated and hold their dark red colour throughout the season"...its got fine burgundy leaves..

The tree is grafted..

now the questions.

1. It is still in it's original pot, the previous owner said she just left it right beside her pool..out in the sun..and for the past few days at where i live...there wasn't much rain at all..and it was constantly around 30C to 32C with humidity. Some of the leaf on the tree were crispy.....anything I should worry about?

2. It is July now..is it too late for planting it into the ground? i understand that the tree needs close to 2-3 years to adapt itself into a new surroundings.

3. How much feeding and watering should i be doing? When i got the tree..the soil in the original pot was very very very dry...I did do a bit of watering and feed the tree with Plant-Prod ® Evergreen & Shrub Fertilizer 30-10-10. I do not want to over fertilize the tree...any suggestions?

Thank you all for reading...and the helping suggestions.

Sinerely,

J

PS. I LIVE IN TORONTO, Ontario, CANADA

 

[jferrier]

Japanese maples in full sun all day may show slight leaf burn on the edges/tips and this is no cause for alarm. It happens to many of mine each year during our many days of 100 degree weather. You might want to move it to an area that only receives 4-6 hours of morning sun. It's not a good time to transplant in the ground. You can bury the pot if you wish to help keep the soil moist, but I'd wait till spring to plant in the ground. I plant here in spring or fall after the leaves have turned colors, but with your much colder climate fall planting may be risky. As for watering and fertilizing, Japanese maples prefer a more damp soil than dry. You don't want to waterlog it, but definitely keep it moist. I don't have much advise on fertilizer, other than if the tree is young, be careful not to over do it or use anything too strong. I use osmicote, but perhaps others using more aggressive fertilizers can comment.

 

[rockm]

Actually, fall is a great time to plant trees in the ground--perhaps better than springtime. That's because the ground is warmer in the fall, as it has had time to heat up deeply during the summer. Warmer ground temps can extend into November or even December, allowing time for new plants to put out roots (root growth can occur even if leaves are not on the tree).

In springtime, the ground has yet to warm up and it can be well into late May in more northern latitudes for it to be warm enough for root activity...

For now, keep the tree in semishade (at least out of the worst of the afternoon sun, although in Toronto, that's probably a relative thin). Keep it moist, not soggy. Plant it at the end of August. Make sure it get adequate water (consult gardening books about how to plant trees in the ground--it's not as straightforward as it seems)...

 

[junmilo]

Thank you all for the reply, i just checked the tree about 30 mins ago..the temperature here today in Toronto is around 28-29C with humidity it feels like 33-34C. It has been dry for the past week..and no rain so far...it will still be 4-5 days till rain comes...and the temperature will reach around 34-35C without humidity...with humidity it will be around 38-39C...I'm not sure how to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit....

The top part of the tree...all the leafs are all dried out crispy...but the middle to lower part of the tree..the leaf are still normal and ok....does it mean that the water is not reaching to the top of the leaf?

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

J

 

[rockm]

It means the sun has killed the top leaves. It might also be that there has been some root death. Scorched leaves are not an uncommon thing with Japanese maples this time of year.

Your tree is probably fine. It's probably just the leaves that are affected. Keep the tree moist, in open shade. Wait... It will probably push new leaves in a couple of weeks.

 

[junmilo]

It means the sun has killed the top leaves. It might also be that there has been some root death. Scorched leaves are not an uncommon thing with Japanese maples this time of year.

Your tree is probably fine. It's probably just the leaves that are affected. Keep the tree moist, in open shade. Wait... It will probably push new leaves in a couple of weeks.

I have been watering the tree during the night time and early mornings(Everyday)..do you think this is too much? I know they like moist soil...but not too much water.....

Also, should i cut off the dried up dead leaf? or leave them there? Because it is only the leaf that dried out, not the stems that attaches to the leaf....

Thank You

J

 

[rockm]

I don't know. I can't see the tree.

If you're watering a on schedule and not watering when the tree needs water, chances are you're probably overwatering. One way to monitor the tree's water needs is to insert a chopstick downward almost all the way through the root mass. Pull it out, check it like an engine oil dipstick--if it's moist, or wet along the length, the tree doesn't need water. If it's dry or dry-ish, water. Check the stick twice a day, once in the morning, once in the early evening (Don't water after dark, you might cause fungal or modl problems)...

Let the leaves alone.