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My acer tree looks unhealthy/is dying - Pls help!

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  • kkudikkudi Posts: 25
    I really dont know how to tell what kind of soil i have.

    Here's a photo of what it looks like after a bit of digging (not even half way) 



  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    That soil looks fine kkudi, seems dark and crumbly to me, which is good news. If it's easy to break up and stays the same lower down your 'big hole' I'd say you're good to go.

    It's only stuff like sticky, wet clay or dry dusty soils that need serious improvement in my opinion. 
    I've had a look at your acer feed and it does say it's slow release for one seasons food in the blurb.
    Once you're happy with your hole size, fork some into the loose soil at the bottom before you pop your tree in. Don't forget to give the tree plenty of water over the coming weeks as it settles into it's new home 💧.
  • kkudikkudi Posts: 25
    Kitty 2 said:
    That soil looks fine kkudi, seems dark and crumbly to me, which is good news. If it's easy to break up and stays the same lower down your 'big hole' I'd say you're good to go.

    It's only stuff like sticky, wet clay or dry dusty soils that need serious improvement in my opinion. 
    I've had a look at your acer feed and it does say it's slow release for one seasons food in the blurb.
    Once you're happy with your hole size, fork some into the loose soil at the bottom before you pop your tree in. Don't forget to give the tree plenty of water over the coming weeks as it settles into it's new home 💧.

    I dug enough and towards the end of the hole, it was stickier and of yellow/golden colour which suggests at the deeper ends, the soil might be sticky clay?. I put some Levington Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost at the bottom together mixed with the acfer feed and also put compost on the sides of the hole while planting the tree and at the top. 

    Fingers crossed. Will also prune some of the dead leaves/parts to help it heal faster. I will keep you posted and post photos hopefully next year if we are successful! Now I have a big empty pot to fill in with something :-) 
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    Perhaps buy a little acer and grow it on just in case big brother does not thrive! But don't put it in the big pot!!
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
  • kkudikkudi Posts: 25
    hogweed said:
    Perhaps buy a little acer and grow it on just in case big brother does not thrive! But don't put it in the big pot!!
    that might be a good idea! Morissons sells really small ones -however, If they both make it they will be too close to one another! wouldn't they conflict too much? 

    The good thing about the tree, is that only the leaves seem to be dead, not the branches. 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Current thinking is not to put compost in the hole when planting trees, but to mulch the surface well. If you put compost in the hole, the tree is less inclined to send its roots searching for goodness.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • kkudikkudi Posts: 25
    punkdoc said:
    Current thinking is not to put compost in the hole when planting trees, but to mulch the surface well. If you put compost in the hole, the tree is less inclined to send its roots searching for goodness.
    That's good to know. I don't think I overdid it with the compost - at the bottom. I will get some mulch to put at the top. I did put some compost at the top though. Hope that isn't too much of a problem. 
  • Definitely agree that it needs a larger pot, for its size.

    It looks very unhappy, poor thing...

    What position is it in? Too exposed and it could be getting leaf scorch too, if it's windy, but it looks like it cold be protected by your wall.

    With potted trees and shrubs I'd always be mindful of vine weevil. They got several of my plants before I realised what was going on.

    The grubs O(about an inch long, creamy coloured, larvae of the flightless vine weevil beetle) come out of dormancy around April and chomp on the plant's roots, eventually killing it.

    To check, lift the rootball it and have a good look when you repot in autumn.

    For now, either treat with eco vine weevil nematodes (microscopic parasitising worms that will kill the grubs) or chemical treatments.
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    My only reason for not planting out now is that there's always the possibility of a dreaded long , hot and dry Summer .
    At least if it's still in the pot you can monitor the watering regimen , (that is a systematic way of controlling just how much it needs) .
    One of my Acer sp. is  A . japonicum 'Bloodgood' ; this explodes into life in May putting on 2' of growth very rapidly .
    Contrary to the excellent advice above , I always prune in late June to reduce the overall size .

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I had an acer that was suffering in a pot. The hot summer meant that i couldn't keep it watered so i had no choice but to plant it out in the summer. It's doing fine and probably wouldn't have survived in the pot.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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