West Seattle Blog...

WSB Forum » Open Discussion

1. cjboffoli
   Member Profile

   

   Are there any gardeners out there who might be able to lend some advice about this?

   I've got a 3 year-old, 6 foot high, Japanese Maple that in the last few days has spontaneously shed just about 4/5 of its leaves. It had been fairly hardy up to this point. My care regimen hasn't really changed at all.

   About a week ago, just after that stretch of extra-hot weather, I noticed that the leaves had lightened and some of them had begun to curl along the edges. So I thought that maybe I had been a bit neglectful in my watering and gave it a bit more deep watering to compensate. But it was either too little too late or the wrong approach as this week the leaves dropped faster than I dropped 3rd period French.

   The rest of the tree appears healthy. And it certainly weathered hotter, sunnier days last summer with about the same amount of water/care.

   The question now, beyond theories about what happened, is what to do. Will the tree be compromised without enough foliage for the rest of the summer? Any chance it will bud and replace its leaves? Should I feed, water or leave it alone?

   Any expert advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

2. jwws
   Member Profile

   

   cjb,

   Sounds like the hot weather got it. If the cambium is still green then the tree is healthy and will be ok next year - I had a similar experience when I went on vacation and my neighbor neglected to water my potted Japanese maple; leaves dried out and fell off - that was a few years ago and the tree is thriving today. Japanese maples need a constant source of moisture in well draining soil and should be protected from wind. Most likely your tree is fine, just won't look too good this year - keep it watered and fed and it should be fine next year.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

3. JayDee
   Member Profile

   As long as the maple isn't sitting in water, you should be OK. The Master Gardeners have been out at the Farmer's Market in recent weeks--it might be worth it to ask them. My bet is on the sudden change in the weather--the rapidity of the change rather than the endpoint. Good luck.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

4. anonyme
   Member Profile

   It's likely that the sudden change in weather scorched the tree. However, japanese maples are prone to a disease called verticillium wilt. Do an online search and you'll find lots of photos and information.

   Whatever you do, don't feed the tree but do keep it watered -- and preferably not with a hose. It could very well recover and be fine next year. Good luck.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

5. Gina
   Member Profile

   

   Yes. I have a 40 and a 35 year old Japanese maples in my yard, and this has happened to them in the past. They recovered in the next year leafing cycle.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

6. Aim
   Member Profile

   

   Agreed with the others. This happened to our Japanese Maple last year during the super hot stretch in August. Same curled up, falling off leaves. Many of the branches died off during the winter, and I had to prune them back in Spring once I determined for sure that they weren't just late bloomers. Changed the entire shape of the tree. However, it did recover - and beautifully so. It just sent out new branches in other areas. Keep it watered and fed, and it should bounce back next Spring.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

7. anonyme
   Member Profile

   It's generally not a good idea to feed (fertilize) a stressed plant. Besides, fall is the best time to fertilize trees, if at all. It also depends on whether the tree is in a pot or in the ground.

   Posted 1 year ago #         

8. thansen
   Member Profile

   

   A few months ago we bought a litle lace leaf maple, the kind the gets about 3-4 feet and cascades overs and it does not seem to have grown at all. Does anyone know how long it takes them to grow?

   Posted 1 year ago #         

9. Crowe
   Member Profile

   

   cjboffoli, I just finished the Master Composter/Soil Builder training through Seattle Tilth, and the Garden Hotline is a GREAT resource for all kinds of questions. You can even send them a photo so they can actually see what may be going on. The folks on the other end are wonderful.
   The Garden Hotline: help@gardenhotline.org
   http://www.gardenhotline.org
   206-633-0224

   Posted 1 year ago #         

10. anonyme
    Member Profile

    thansen: japanese maples are slow-growing, maybe 6" per year. I've had some that put on more growth than that, but you should not expect much growth - if any - in a plant you've had only a few months. It also makes a difference whether it's in the ground or in a pot & what kind of care it gets. As a general rule, most newly planted trees & shrubs take up to a year to establish before they put on much growth. Be patient!

    Posted 1 year ago #         

11. JayDee
    Member Profile

    Thansen: I inherited some of these laceleafs and they are slow to grow but they have cool Daliesque trunks. Based on my experience with a coral bark maple, be sure to water the laceleafs regularly in the summer--I used a drip hose wrapped around the base and out to the edge of the leaves. Since doing this, it has really started growing.

    Posted 1 year ago #         

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.