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Can this little Acer Tree be saved?

EnthusiasticBelladonnaEnthusiasticBelladonna Posts: 4
in Problem solving

This acer was a wedding present so I really want to save it if I can. Due to a family illness we didn’t spend a single weekend in our house for the last 2 years and some plants got neglected.

I thought this acer was dead but I continued to water it and in the spring I noticed that right at the base of the trunk it was still green and growing. Since then small branches and leaves have appeared at the base as you can see in the photos. But the top has remained leafless and very dead looking.

My question is can it be saved or is continuing to look after it pointless? If it can be saved is it best to cut off the dead bit at the top? I don’t know where to cut it and it seems pretty drastic as obviously the dead part makes up most of the plant!

Any thoughts much appreciated to save this little one! 

Kind regards
Frances 

Posts

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    Hello Frances. It isn't dead because it has some fresh leaves! However, the top looks as though it has had it. You could try scraping some of the bark off to see if there is any green underneath before making any decisions about removing it. Are the leaves the same as the ones it used to bear? If they are different they are growing from the rootstock - I think that most acers are grafted. The first picture shows very attractive foliage which might indicate that it is the variety but the bottom one looks as though it is growing out of the ground which could be from the rootstock. I would be happy to have it either way as it is pretty. 
    I'd test the trunk just below where the branches are. Scrape the smallest amount possible off with your thumb nail, to see if there is any green which shows signs of life. If it is green,  go further up and look again. If there is no green, it is dead and can be removed. Even if there is green material under the bark, it might not make new growth if the branch is very dry and mature.
    Don't give up on it. You might need to have patience and it might not have a single trunk but you will have a nice plant. Keep it watered and put it where it won't get too much sun. Protect it from strong winds especially whilst the new growth is soft to give it the best chance. They are very tough - it wouldn't have new growth if it wasn't very resilient. 

  • EnthusiasticBelladonnaEnthusiasticBelladonna Posts: 4
    Joy* said:
    Hello Frances. It isn't dead because it has some fresh leaves! However, the top looks as though it has had it. You could try scraping some of the bark off to see if there is any green underneath before making any decisions about removing it. Are the leaves the same as the ones it used to bear? If they are different they are growing from the rootstock - I think that most acers are grafted. The first picture shows very attractive foliage which might indicate that it is the variety but the bottom one looks as though it is growing out of the ground which could be from the rootstock. I would be happy to have it either way as it is pretty. 
    I'd test the trunk just below where the branches are. Scrape the smallest amount possible off with your thumb nail, to see if there is any green which shows signs of life. If it is green,  go further up and look again. If there is no green, it is dead and can be removed. Even if there is green material under the bark, it might not make new growth if the branch is very dry and mature.
    Don't give up on it. You might need to have patience and it might not have a single trunk but you will have a nice plant. Keep it watered and put it where it won't get too much sun. Protect it from strong winds especially whilst the new growth is soft to give it the best chance. They are very tough - it wouldn't have new growth if it wasn't very resilient. 

    Hi Joy,

    Thank you very much for your detailed reply! I will do the above and keep looking after it and hopefully, like you say, even if I don't have a single trunk 'tree' it will still be an attractive plant :)

    Thanks Again

    Frances 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Most Acers are grafted onto a rootstock so it's quite possible that the new foliage is from that. It seems to be, but I can't see the graft point in the photos to be sure.
    You'll just have to wait and see, but the top is dead and doing nothing, so you'll need to prune that off at some point. 
    If the new growth is from the rootstock, it will probably be very vigorous [that's the reason they're used ] so you may find that it becomes a large tree quite quickly. Whether you wish to keep it will depend on what room you have and the care you can give it in future. The foliage there just now is attractive, so its worth waiting a while to see how it develops.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • EnthusiasticBelladonnaEnthusiasticBelladonna Posts: 4
    Fairygirl said:
    Most Acers are grafted onto a rootstock so it's quite possible that the new foliage is from that. It seems to be, but I can't see the graft point in the photos to be sure.
    You'll just have to wait and see, but the top is dead and doing nothing, so you'll need to prune that off at some point. 
    If the new growth is from the rootstock, it will probably be very vigorous [that's the reason they're used ] so you may find that it becomes a large tree quite quickly. Whether you wish to keep it will depend on what room you have and the care you can give it in future. The foliage there just now is attractive, so its worth waiting a while to see how it develops.  :)
    Thank you very much for your reply and advice - I'm excited to see what it will become in the future now!

    Kind regards
    Frances 
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I don't think you need to bother scraping the bark, the top is dead.
    Chop off the top and keep the rest, you might get a nice Acer.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • EnthusiasticBelladonnaEnthusiasticBelladonna Posts: 4
    Thanks for your reply.
    Kind regards
    Frances 
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