There is also a situation where the amount of water [or lack of it] at certain times cause a problem at this time of year. A bit like the timing with rhododendrons/camellias etc. The greeny/yellowy ones are also less good at coping with sun than the dark ones. From the way you describe your soil, it sounds like clay, and that's ideal for them, but if it's cracking in dry spells, it also sounds like it could have done with some organic matter in there to help with the structure. That would help prevent that. Any water going in, can often just run off if the ground is very dry. I see you took a section out and replaced with sand and compost. Ideally, you would have used grit or coarse sand, and then mixed that, the compost and some of the soil you took out. If you used the wrong kind of sand, that won't have helped either. You may just have created a sump.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The bare stems / dead twigs have not appeared yet. They will become more prominent later in the Summer as the dead leaves start to fall off.
Yes I always hoped it wasn't too serious because, as you say, it grows perfectly healthily in the Spring with a very dense canopy of leaves. The leaves dying stops it growing bigger though and it just ends up looking really tatty by halfway through the Summer... plus I never get to see that bright orange Autumn foliage!
It always comes back fine the next Spring.
Yes it gets a lot of morning sun. It's up against the North fence of the garden. At this time of year the sun starts to hit it by about 8:30am and then keeps hitting it until about 4 or 5pm.
The Acer against the South fence of the garden stays in shade until more like 12ish, but then stays in the sun later (maybe til about 6ish).
Oh I do like the clematis canopy idea... that sounds like a project! Although... it would still be difficult to keep the morning sun off it. It would easily protect it from more of the afternoon sun.
Hmm, yes lots of sun. The soil does get dry and cracks, although I figured that the alpine flower down there was protecting the soil somewhat.
The sand was course. I should also say that in about 5 or 6 years previous to that this area was well cultivated. I used to have a vegetable patch there so during this time I was often digging out clay and/or stones and replacing with compost.
So far I have the ericaceous plant food to try though, plus this ambitious canopy idea... No idea how I'd do that, but I'm already thinking. Can I make it out of some sort of netting?
What else is growing there? Is there any room to plant something else which would offer some light shade? Alternatively, the suggestion of a screen/pergola with a climber is the best way forward, if you don't feel confident about moving it. A couple pf pieces of trellis would even do - they would give some shade, even without any planting.
The fact that the ground's cracking in dry weather does suggest it dries out very readily though. The addition of regular mulching - compost, bark etc, will help the structure, if you can manage it, and also help with moisture levels
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
If you're careful about positioning, and you have an appropriate climber - sides and top, it should offer some decent protection. I'm slightly concerned about the site of the compost bin [?] though. It would make access to it difficult. There's no escaping it though - it isn't the best site for the Acer.
Sorry - I've just seen that you wanted the Acer to screen the bin. I think a different choice would have been better for that - an evergreen for example.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
OK so obviously my attempt to quickly sketch something on MS Paint are fairly shambolic, but I wonder if I could construct something a little like this:
That's supposed to be a trellis on the side and over the top.
Posts
The greeny/yellowy ones are also less good at coping with sun than the dark ones.
From the way you describe your soil, it sounds like clay, and that's ideal for them, but if it's cracking in dry spells, it also sounds like it could have done with some organic matter in there to help with the structure. That would help prevent that. Any water going in, can often just run off if the ground is very dry. I see you took a section out and replaced with sand and compost.
Ideally, you would have used grit or coarse sand, and then mixed that, the compost and some of the soil you took out. If you used the wrong kind of sand, that won't have helped either. You may just have created a sump.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes I always hoped it wasn't too serious because, as you say, it grows perfectly healthily in the Spring with a very dense canopy of leaves. The leaves dying stops it growing bigger though and it just ends up looking really tatty by halfway through the Summer... plus I never get to see that bright orange Autumn foliage!
It always comes back fine the next Spring.
Yes it gets a lot of morning sun. It's up against the North fence of the garden. At this time of year the sun starts to hit it by about 8:30am and then keeps hitting it until about 4 or 5pm.
The Acer against the South fence of the garden stays in shade until more like 12ish, but then stays in the sun later (maybe til about 6ish).
Oh I do like the clematis canopy idea... that sounds like a project! Although... it would still be difficult to keep the morning sun off it. It would easily protect it from more of the afternoon sun.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hmm, yes lots of sun. The soil does get dry and cracks, although I figured that the alpine flower down there was protecting the soil somewhat.
The sand was course. I should also say that in about 5 or 6 years previous to that this area was well cultivated. I used to have a vegetable patch there so during this time I was often digging out clay and/or stones and replacing with compost.
So far I have the ericaceous plant food to try though, plus this ambitious canopy idea... No idea how I'd do that, but I'm already thinking. Can I make it out of some sort of netting?
Alternatively, the suggestion of a screen/pergola with a climber is the best way forward, if you don't feel confident about moving it. A couple pf pieces of trellis would even do - they would give some shade, even without any planting.
The fact that the ground's cracking in dry weather does suggest it dries out very readily though. The addition of regular mulching - compost, bark etc, will help the structure, if you can manage it, and also help with moisture levels
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Incidentally, the hope was that this tree would grow up to level with top of the fence and then block the view of the composter a little.
I'd remove a good bit of the planting growing under it though, and use some bark if you can. It would make a better feature I think. Up to you though.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I could imagine something like that fitting over the top of it, but would maybe only protect it from about 2 or 3 hours of sun at the end of the day.
I'm slightly concerned about the site of the compost bin [?] though. It would make access to it difficult.
There's no escaping it though - it isn't the best site for the Acer.
Sorry - I've just seen that you wanted the Acer to screen the bin. I think a different choice would have been better for that - an evergreen for example.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...