This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.
Acer trouble?
Green but keen
Posts: 1
Hi
Newbie here. Is my Acer dying/ dead? Is it salvageable? If so, how?
Many Thanks all
0
Posts
I wouldn't regard it as dead until May or June. It should sprout leaves in the Spring. After that, it will be obvious which are the dead bits to prune out.
Hello Green but keen
Oh dear , looks like a classic case of being too dry or too sunny at some stage last summer ; any new growth this year will be very thinly spread and sporadic .
There is a lot of dieback there , though by being pretty drastic I think the tree could be salvaged .
If mine , I would simply cut off all stems in a rough line with the bottom of that white (candle burner?) suspended on the left hand side , reducing it by about two-thirds . I know this appears brutal , but it will encourage and re-vitalise the tree to re-generate new shoots in the Spring .
Keep moist permanently (rainwater if possible) , liquid feed regularly and I think the tree will soon recover . They are surprisingly resilient ; maybe move to a place with dappled shade also .
I think it's under-potted and could do with a deeper, wider pot with much more compost to provide nutrients and water and keep it's roots from cooking in summer and freezing in winter. make sure it is well watered all through the growing season but also that it can drain and not sit there being water-logged. Give it a slow- release feed every spring and occasional drinks of seaweed extract thru spring and summer as compost only has food for about 90 days.
I wouldn't cut anything yet till buds start to burst and then it'll be obvious which the dead bits are and how much you need to cut out and how much can be salvaged. Move it to a sheltered spot out of the wind as this will damage foliage and make sure it isn't in full sun at the height of summer.
Those fine white tips will be dead. If you can snap them off with your finger & thumb this will confirm it without the need to worry about cutting the wrong thing. It is very overcrowded and this is the trees natural response to that overcrowding. If you are going to prune do it now while it is dormant. I agree completely with advice above re: feeding and water.