Hi, I am new with a japanese maple. I got this little fella last summer, I left it outside so it can go thru all the seasons, so it went thru a very harsh New England winter. So its finally spring now and most of my other plants are sprouting leaves and so forth except for this little guy. So I was wondering if its a goner. The branches are still bloody red, I trimmed off the dried up branches and I water it every day. Anyone have any clue, that will be great, I attached a picture.
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- rainbowgardener
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rainbowgardener,
thank you for your reply, I am going to stop watering everyday, but what would you recommend? Hopefully I will still see green in the branches.
Also should I give it some kind of plant food? I really hope its not dead yet.
I am a total beginner so the reason I started to water everyday is because I read somewhere that young trees need alot of water. So I figured this is a young tree and it would probably need alot of water.
thank you for your reply, I am going to stop watering everyday, but what would you recommend? Hopefully I will still see green in the branches.
Also should I give it some kind of plant food? I really hope its not dead yet.
I am a total beginner so the reason I started to water everyday is because I read somewhere that young trees need alot of water. So I figured this is a young tree and it would probably need alot of water.
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No, do not fertilize a plant that is already struggling. It just forces it to try to make top growth it doesn't have the resources for.
Re when to water, here's a thread that outlines some of that:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8607#8607
It's from the bonsai section, but what you have is essentially a bonsai -- a very small tree in a small pot.
For right now what you most want is to let it dry out until the top couple inches of soil are dry. If there is water you can pour off the top, do that.
Does the pot it is in have drainage holes? Be sure they are not clogged up so that water can run out the bottom.
Re when to water, here's a thread that outlines some of that:
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=8607#8607
It's from the bonsai section, but what you have is essentially a bonsai -- a very small tree in a small pot.
For right now what you most want is to let it dry out until the top couple inches of soil are dry. If there is water you can pour off the top, do that.
Does the pot it is in have drainage holes? Be sure they are not clogged up so that water can run out the bottom.
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Hi,
First of all IF that pot is waterlogged you have got problems ,I would repot it in a MOIST mix of potting compost 60% and pea gravel 40% ,BUT before that give it the thumb nail test stick your thumb nail into the bark on the trunk and pull the bark down ,if it is green underneath pot on as advised if it is brown it is to late and you have drowned it.
NEVER over water but keep compost moist.
koiboy01
First of all IF that pot is waterlogged you have got problems ,I would repot it in a MOIST mix of potting compost 60% and pea gravel 40% ,BUT before that give it the thumb nail test stick your thumb nail into the bark on the trunk and pull the bark down ,if it is green underneath pot on as advised if it is brown it is to late and you have drowned it.
NEVER over water but keep compost moist.
koiboy01
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I suppose it won't hurt to do the bark test, but just looking at it, I think it's alive and just waiting to leaf out. Japanese Maples aren't the earliest to come alive in spring.
I have one the size of one of your branches -- all red no green (which indicates a more mature bark) at all, and it just started putting out tiny leaves in the last couple of days after a week of heatwave (80'/60's). I should think your garden would be at least another two weeks behind mine.
Definitely watch the watering because these guys are pretty drought tolerant and hate waterlogged soil. Clay pot sitting directly on the ground will wick up moisture and will not dry out unless the ground underneath is parched, and that's not likely to happen until the middle of the summer.
I have one the size of one of your branches -- all red no green (which indicates a more mature bark) at all, and it just started putting out tiny leaves in the last couple of days after a week of heatwave (80'/60's). I should think your garden would be at least another two weeks behind mine.
Definitely watch the watering because these guys are pretty drought tolerant and hate waterlogged soil. Clay pot sitting directly on the ground will wick up moisture and will not dry out unless the ground underneath is parched, and that's not likely to happen until the middle of the summer.
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thanks everyone for your advices...
so I did the nail test this morning, and the main trunk still seem to have green.
I am in MA, and today is 52 F degrees. Kinda chilly this morning too, so if I am following what applestar said, maybe its still too cold for my little guy to do anything, I guess.
But what really concerns me is that its not even budding while all the other trees around it has budded already. I have a japanese plum, a red leaf flowering peach, japanese cherry, jiro persimmon and they all have budded and leafed. So I am like.."what is going here? ooh no is it dead?"
But is it normal to not even see buds?
so I did the nail test this morning, and the main trunk still seem to have green.
I am in MA, and today is 52 F degrees. Kinda chilly this morning too, so if I am following what applestar said, maybe its still too cold for my little guy to do anything, I guess.
But what really concerns me is that its not even budding while all the other trees around it has budded already. I have a japanese plum, a red leaf flowering peach, japanese cherry, jiro persimmon and they all have budded and leafed. So I am like.."what is going here? ooh no is it dead?"
But is it normal to not even see buds?
hi all
The Jmaple may have been damaged by too much of water.
many j maples can take wet/moist soil but can‘t stand in water for long time.
Applestar: say hi to your mom and dad. let‘s ME to know if I
can help.Nihongo key board is hard to use
Ggeroge
I‘m home in Japan now. having second culture shock.It may take some time to cure. my old email address is gone.slow mail works however. Ⅰ need to have more time to adjust life in Japan.
take good care yourself. your friend mike
The Jmaple may have been damaged by too much of water.
many j maples can take wet/moist soil but can‘t stand in water for long time.
Applestar: say hi to your mom and dad. let‘s ME to know if I
can help.Nihongo key board is hard to use
Ggeroge
I‘m home in Japan now. having second culture shock.It may take some time to cure. my old email address is gone.slow mail works however. Ⅰ need to have more time to adjust life in Japan.
take good care yourself. your friend mike
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yama,
thanks for your note, So should I pronounce it certified? and just give it a good final good bye?
I also have another japanese maple, but since now I learn that too much water is not good, it has been raining/misting for couple of days here. Should I move the guy out of the rain?
Please let me know, I don't want another one to go away.
Thanks
thanks for your note, So should I pronounce it certified? and just give it a good final good bye?
I also have another japanese maple, but since now I learn that too much water is not good, it has been raining/misting for couple of days here. Should I move the guy out of the rain?
Please let me know, I don't want another one to go away.
Thanks
- rainbowgardener
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DoomSickle wrote:
thanks for your note, So should I pronounce it certified? and just give it a good final good bye?
What was the result of the bark test and how has it been doing since you drained the water off and let it dry out a bit?
I also have another japanese maple, but since now I learn that too much water is not good, it has been raining/misting for couple of days here. Should I move the guy out of the rain?
A little rain shouldn't hurt it if the soil it is in drains well. If you are talking about torrential downpours, then maybe you should protect it.
Please let me know, I don't want another one to go away.
Thanks
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Hello all, thanks for all your previous help but I am afraid the little thing has passed on. So I bought another one.... picture below.
What concerns me is the the tips of the leaves are starting to dry up? (see those white specs in the pic) I don't understand, I water it like every 2 days or so, so not that much watering. I mist the leaves every morning before the sun comes out fully. Is there any need to be concerned? Please let me know, thanks
[img]https://www.abccubed.com/template/image_2.jpeg[/img]
What concerns me is the the tips of the leaves are starting to dry up? (see those white specs in the pic) I don't understand, I water it like every 2 days or so, so not that much watering. I mist the leaves every morning before the sun comes out fully. Is there any need to be concerned? Please let me know, thanks
[img]https://www.abccubed.com/template/image_2.jpeg[/img]
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How much sun does it get? Japanese maples don't like much direct sun. I have one that looks like the exact same variety. (Do you know what it is? I just bought mine at the supermarket, labelled Japanese maple.) Anyway mine is planted in the shade of a big lilac shrub, gets hardly any direct sun and does great there.
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so the tree in my first post is gone. Unfortunate, but I got a another and its my second year with it already. It just budded and leafed, its doing awesome. But earlier this year, around early March, where our Massachusetts weather went all whacky and got warm and then cold again..... but anyway, I noticed there were TONS of black aphids and aphid eggs on the THEN sprouting leaves, I scraped and blasted it with water.
Now it seems to be doing OK BUT I also have 2 flowering cherry trees, 2 Yoshino's. The leaves are being eatin already.
Now I am afraid that it will cause problems to my other trees and especially my maple. So I just ordered some Tanglefoot, I guess my new question for today, can I use that for my Maple tree?
Now it seems to be doing OK BUT I also have 2 flowering cherry trees, 2 Yoshino's. The leaves are being eatin already.
Now I am afraid that it will cause problems to my other trees and especially my maple. So I just ordered some Tanglefoot, I guess my new question for today, can I use that for my Maple tree?