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Newly planted Acer specimen leaf change

rebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDmrebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDm Posts: 5
in The potting shed
Hi,

I recently purchased an Acer Osakazuki, thinking this particular cultivar is suitable to a full sun position. 
I planted it just 9 days ago at the rear of my garden, intending for it to be a focal point, however I’m worried that I have caused it stress as it has started to turn darker, with dry edges which I believe might be leaf scorch. I believe it is too early to be changing colour ready for autumn?

Please see images below showing comparison of colour from first day of planting to present.  
Is anyone able to suggest whether I should move it now or give it more time to settle and establish?  

I have given it Vitrix Acer feed and compost mulch, and would really appreciate any suggestions to avoid losing this lovely specimen plant!

Thanks
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Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Some Japanese maples can cope with sun but none like windy sites as wind dessicates their foliage.   That site looks exposed so probably not ideal.

    Secondly, when you plant a pot grown plant in the growing season you have to keep it watered right thru to autumn so it doesn't get thirsty while getting its roots established.  If you plant in autumn to mid winter (when the ground isn't water-logged or frozen) there's usually enough rainfall for the roots to grow and establish before they have to deal with all the growth up top. 

    Thirdly, you need to soak the root ball before planting out and also tease the roots out so they don't carry on going round and round as tho still in a pot.  It's best to make a square planting hole to help with this and to make sure the hole and its soli are well prepared with some well-rotted manure and/or garden compost.  Back fill, firm in and water thoroughly.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • rebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDmrebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDm Posts: 5
    Obelixx said:
    Some Japanese maples can cope with sun but none like windy sites as wind dessicates their foliage.   That site looks exposed so probably not ideal.

    Secondly, when you plant a pot grown plant in the growing season you have to keep it watered right thru to autumn so it doesn't get thirsty while getting its roots established.  If you plant in autumn to mid winter (when the ground isn't water-logged or frozen) there's usually enough rainfall for the roots to grow and establish before they have to deal with all the growth up top. 

    Thirdly, you need to soak the root ball before planting out and also tease the roots out so they don't carry on going round and round as tho still in a pot.  It's best to make a square planting hole to help with this and to make sure the hole and its soli are well prepared with some well-rotted manure and/or garden compost.  Back fill, firm in and water thoroughly.
    Thank you so much for your thorough reply.  It probably is too exposed, particularly at the moment as we haven’t finished building up the side walls. 

    Do you think it is safe/best to move it against the garage wall or left side wall at this stage?  And/or possibly dig it up and attempt to tease out the roots more as you suggest?

    I don’t want to cause it too much stress by digging it up?

    Any help is much appreciated to help my tree!

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    How long has it been in and did you soak it before planting?   If you did soak it I would leave it alone but keep it watered now - every day at least 5 litres but 10 for the first few days - and give it a good mulch of well-rotted manure once it is thoroughly soaked.   It will then have all of autumn and winter to develop its root system to support next year's growth.

    Without knowing where your prevailing wind comes from it's impossible to say if it would do better being moved but you should know that walls don't slow down wind.  They make it swirl more.   Hedges and fences are better at filtering and slowing air movement whereas walls create swoops and eddies of air.  Have a read of this and see if you can provide some wind filtering plants or a porous fence or trellis to help - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=624
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    As it hasn't been in there very long, I'd dig it up, pot it, and put it somewhere more sheltered for now. Wind is a big factor in foliage damage, even in established shrubs. 
    It's also a big, mature specimen, so it will need plenty of watering until established. That will probably be until we get to about October and it'll be dormant, or heading that way,  anyway.
    It also depends where you live and what your climate is like. I haven't watered anything for weeks here, apart from the potted sweet peas every now and again, and the tomatoes occasionally, which are inside.
    If you live somewhere without regular, decent rainfall, you'll need to be vigilant with the watering for the next couple of months.
    By decent, I mean hours of steady rain, and that needs to be every few days at least  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • rebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDmrebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDm Posts: 5
    Obelixx said:
    How long has it been in and did you soak it before planting?   If you did soak it I would leave it alone but keep it watered now - every day at least 5 litres but 10 for the first few days - and give it a good mulch of well-rotted manure once it is thoroughly soaked.   It will then have all of autumn and winter to develop its root system to support next year's growth.

    Without knowing where your prevailing wind comes from it's impossible to say if it would do better being moved but you should know that walls don't slow down wind.  They make it swirl more.   Hedges and fences are better at filtering and slowing air movement whereas walls create swoops and eddies of air.  Have a read of this and see if you can provide some wind filtering plants or a porous fence or trellis to help - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=624
    It has now been planted for 10 days, I did give it a good water beforehand, but should have really the day before as well to make sure it had already taken up enough water.

    Thank you for the link on wind breaks, that’s interesting as I believe the prevailing wind is from the west, so we could put something like a trellis that side to help somewhat.

    If it got to the stage where the leaves start falling off, would it be saveable?  Does leaf scorch kill the tree, or is it just a temporary thing for this year?

    Fairygirl said:
    As it hasn't been in there very long, I'd dig it up, pot it, and put it somewhere more sheltered for now. Wind is a big factor in foliage damage, even in established shrubs. 
    It's also a big, mature specimen, so it will need plenty of watering until established. That will probably be until we get to about October and it'll be dormant, or heading that way,  anyway.
    It also depends where you live and what your climate is like. I haven't watered anything for weeks here, apart from the potted sweet peas every now and again, and the tomatoes occasionally, which are inside.
    If you live somewhere without regular, decent rainfall, you'll need to be vigilant with the watering for the next couple of months.
    By decent, I mean hours of steady rain, and that needs to be every few days at least  :)
    I live in Wales, so it actually is very rainy, in fact it hasn’t stopped now for 3 days!  Is it likely to survive in a pot though, as I’ve only got a small Acer in a pot.  I was just hoping it would still have plenty of time to establish before winter...
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    The leaves are the food factory as they photosynthesise the sun's energy - no leaves, no food.   In order to function well, the leaves need plenty of water and a certain number of minerals which are taken up by the roots from the soil.   Japanese maple leaves are prone to dessication by wind and sun so need extra moisture to counter that.

    I would just keep watering it regularly until autumn but it can survive in a pot as long as the pot is big enough, the compost is good enough and you provide enough water and food.   Just rainfall is not enough and the nutrients in any planting compost last a maximum 90 days and then need supplementing.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • rebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDmrebeccafdavies22VuPHoJDm Posts: 5
    Obelixx said:
    The leaves are the food factory as they photosynthesise the sun's energy - no leaves, no food.   In order to function well, the leaves need plenty of water and a certain number of minerals which are taken up by the roots from the soil.   Japanese maple leaves are prone to dessication by wind and sun so need extra moisture to counter that.

    I would just keep watering it regularly until autumn but it can survive in a pot as long as the pot is big enough, the compost is good enough and you provide enough water and food.   Just rainfall is not enough and the nutrients in any planting compost last a maximum 90 days and then need supplementing.
    I think I will give it until the weekend and check on the leaves then and as you say, keep watering it. If they don’t seem to be moist enough I’ll decide whether to put it in a pot down near the house with the other one over winter. 

    Will it need feeding over winter too? I have given it both Vitrix Acer feed as well as compost, but the packet seemed to say it only needs feeding during the growing season? Or perhaps it’s different for newly planted trees?
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Nothing to add to these 2 clever girls, I lost one a couple of years ago, to "windburn", leaves all crinkly, I thought it was the sun, Was given advice by some lovelly ladies at a Nursery I go to.  If you put them in the ground they do go mad, we had a couple that were about 2 feet tall, in the ground after 8 years 10 feet plus.  All mine are now in pots, mostly semi shaded area, (pretty much Japanese woodland plants) ericacea compost, lots of (ideally rainwater) rarely fed with anything, a weed and top dress with the compost in spring, and quite a few years old now.  We have visited gardens open for charity, right on the sea front full south facing in pots, very exposed windy and doing fine, but thats the exception.  Your place is absolutely gorgeous, and we havent had rain for ages SE UK fairly near the sea.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Just because you're having rain doesn't mean enough water is soaking down deep to the roots so please, do the watering as advised and pouring slowly so it soaks in rather than runs off.   It is pointless feeding a stressed plant.  Just makes things worse.  

    It will be dormant above ground in winter but still developing roots so if you do move it to a pot make sure first that it is well soaked, the pot is big enough to allow root growth and use a good John Innes no 3 type compost mixed with about 1/3rd MPC which will aid water retention.   Water again after potting and keep it sheltered from frosts and wind.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You could leave it there, water well, and just accept that the current foliage will likely get some damage. It's a big plant, and will have had a bit of transplant shock, but should be well enough established for next year. 
    It's certainly a bit exposed in that site though, but if you're planning more planting nearby to counteract that, it will help in future. If that was mine, I'd have kept it potted until there was sufficient planting to help with filtering the wind. They can be kept purely as pot specimens with the right care  :)

    You've probably had the kind of rainfall we've had here, which is certainly enough to penetrate tree canopies, and thoroughly soak the ground, but don't assume that every bit of rainfall will be substantial enough, especially over the next couple of months, and the foliage soon soaks it up and it gets transpired. The one good thing is that there isn't a lot of other planting nearby which would be competition for that moisture.  You'll have to check it regularly, and it will lose some foliage, but don't worry about that. Keep it well watered during any dry spells until it's completely dormant. 
    They rarely need feeding of any kind,other than a general food in spring. Better to feed the soil regularly with compost mulches, leaf mould etc.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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