I'd leave it there for now. It could have done with the soil level being higher though - it's quite low - but you'd need to take it out and replant so that it isn't buried too deep. Has it improved since it's been in the shade? The growth at the branch ends certainly looks fine.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The one in the photograph was put into the square pot almost as soon as purchased. I do use the original pot when potting up though, so my plants are always planted at the same depth. They all seem to do well despite the advice to say move them up gradually. What I do is to fill the new pot so that when the old one is placed on the compost it is the height the soil will be when completed. Then I fill the pot with compost, firming it in around the old pot. When I'm satisfied that the pot is central and everything is firm, I simply remove the old pot and drop the plant into the perfectly formed hole which is left. Then I only have to tidy the surface a bit and add a bit of fine bark to make it look nice. I've used up leftover orchid potting medium successfully as its relatively fine. The sort you mulch borders with is too coarse. In spring I add a bit of new compost and a very mean amount of Osmacote which is slow release. Other than watering they don't get any other attention. My other 2 acers are teenagers now and are survivors of all sorts of unintentional neglect. They've had to live through temperatures in the 30s without being watered when we were away in the summer and drowned by being planted in a large square hole which turned into a sump in winter. Since we moved back to the UK they have been in pots but have had a bit more TLC. We brought them back, as mature trees, in a couple of carrier bags, bare rooted, in November. I am convinced that they are tougher than people think!
@Songbird-1 Not at all! All questions and answers are most welcome. It is very helpful for me to know as much as I can on how to successfully grow these seeing as I now have 5 small Acers.
@Joy* That tree is stunning. And the red colour! Looks amazing and I bet even more so when the sun shines through it. And thanks for the great tip on repotting them. Will definitely use this method when the time for repotting comes. Do you only feed them the once at the beginning of spring?
And do you remember how tall it was when you first got it? Looks about 180cm tall now.
While they can be very adaptable, it often comes down to location - of the plot and the plant, the climate, and most importantly, the variety. Some can take a bit of abuse, and others can't. Always better to err on the cautious side, especially if buying a mature specimen that's been expensive. I had to laugh when I saw one in a garden I sometimes walk past. It was butchered into a blob shape about a month ago. Looked dreadful, but because we have a cooler climate, it's in a north facing garden, and it's been regularly wet for most of the last 6 weeks, it's coming back to life. They're very lucky. In a different location, and exposed to more sun, that might have bled, been unlikely to have survived, and even if it did, it would have struggled. It's a bog standard dark palmatum, so that helps too.
If you have a pot the same size as the one the plant's in, you can use that for doing the potting on. It's certainly the easiest way to pot on anything, although always check that the plant isn't root bound in any way. If so, just tease the roots out a little bit, and make sure it's well dampened.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes it only gets Osmacote once a year as it starts to show signs of life. It might get the occasional watering when the hosepipe has the Miracle gro feeder on, but that is very occasional as the pot has a reservoir and if the ball in it is floating it wont get any! I've just been out to measure it and it is about 1.8 m tall. It's also about the same across! The trunk is 18cm circumference - my husband didn't believe me about that! When I got it, I suppose it was about 1 m tall, probably less, and the trunk was about the size of a thin French bean. It stood in the footwell of the car behind the front seat so wasn't very big. I think that it was in a 10cm pot. We've only had this house for 6 summers and I might have bought it the 2nd or 3rd summer so it's no more than 5 years old. Last autumn was the first we were here to see it at it's best. You have made a good decision to buy small ones. I think that they are easier to get going than making a huge investment which might go wrong. Some varieties are very expensive, even when small. When I go to Harrogate flower show, I am very envious of some of the specimens but this garden just won't take any more and despite our development being quite 'up market' I wouldn't dare put any at the front as it's open plan. I use mainly ericaceous compost with a bit of John Innes 3 to give it a bit of weight. I prefer to put them in square pots with wide bases as they are more stable and I think that the roots are better accommodated. The tree we are talking about has been blown over a couple of times when we get very strong winds but so far no damage has been done as the foliage is quite springy. In winter, they don't get any attention and despite our garden being quite sheltered, when windy there is a lot of turbulence. When it was newish it did get some black fly which I sprayed with soapy water to keep it under control. We didn't have birds at first, as this is a new development but having fed the sparrows, they now keep any aphids at bay.
If I don't have a matching pot when repotting, I have been known to put the whole thing, pot and plant in the new pot as it's easier to get it in a good position, and pack new soil around it. I've also taken the plant out of its pot and put the rootball in a plastic bag to keep it wet until I've sorted out it's new home. It's so much easier if you have both hands to use rather than having to hold the plant in one hand whilst sorting the soil with the other.
Posts
Has it improved since it's been in the shade? The growth at the branch ends certainly looks fine.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Songbird-1 Not at all! All questions and answers are most welcome. It is very helpful for me to know as much as I can on how to successfully grow these seeing as I now have 5 small Acers.
@Joy* That tree is stunning. And the red colour! Looks amazing and I bet even more so when the sun shines through it. And thanks for the great tip on repotting them. Will definitely use this method when the time for repotting comes. Do you only feed them the once at the beginning of spring?
And do you remember how tall it was when you first got it? Looks about 180cm tall now.
Always better to err on the cautious side, especially if buying a mature specimen that's been expensive.
I had to laugh when I saw one in a garden I sometimes walk past. It was butchered into a blob shape about a month ago. Looked dreadful, but because we have a cooler climate, it's in a north facing garden, and it's been regularly wet for most of the last 6 weeks, it's coming back to life.
They're very lucky. In a different location, and exposed to more sun, that might have bled, been unlikely to have survived, and even if it did, it would have struggled. It's a bog standard dark palmatum, so that helps too.
If you have a pot the same size as the one the plant's in, you can use that for doing the potting on. It's certainly the easiest way to pot on anything, although always check that the plant isn't root bound in any way. If so, just tease the roots out a little bit, and make sure it's well dampened.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...