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Acers - Not leafing, assume gone...

DFWDFW Posts: 27
in Problem solving
Hi All,

I planted a couple of acers around 12 months ago, used the right soil, planted them in a position where they received a little bit of sun but not too much, etc., but for some reason the larger variety is not re-leafing at all apart from the very lowest branch, and the other has around 70% that is the same (I've removed the non-active parts and just left that which still appears to be alive).

My first question is - what has happened? You can actually see the colour in the stems that are still alive, but the other parts are white/grey.  Could it have been the wind?  Spot I planted was, I thought, quite sheltered but we had some really windy days in spring/summer last year and the larger tree in particualr took a bit of a battering.  Could it be this?

My second question is - what could I replace the larger acer with?  As I said above, it's not particularly sunny in that spot (4-6 hours in the summer, sometimes nothing in the depth of winter).  I was thinking of a standard photinia tree which seem to have an ability to grow anywhere (I have other elsewhere in the garden growing well) but was hoping something a bit more showy, perhaps with some blossom, but not growing too big (2-4m max).

Any advice/help appreciated.
Thanks!



Posts

  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Do you know the variety of the Acer.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    The bottom half of the plant at the corner of the house is alive, but not sure about the rest I'm afraid. 
    Nothing to lose by waiting a while longer.
    Devon.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Patience is one of the most important gardening virtues you need to learn.

    I have several Japanese maples and some are earlier to leaf up than others, partly due to variety but partly due to location and shelter.   Cold and wind and natural aging will mean there are some grey, dead stems every year but, even here where spring is usually under way a couple of weeks ahead of the UK, I wait till the end of April to see which stems will produce foliage and thus which are dead and need pruning off.

     
    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
  • DFWDFW Posts: 27
    The red variety is an 'Osakazuki', and the smaller one is an 'Orange Dream' (which has turned into a nightmare)
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    My orange Dream is one of the later ones and only just budding up and starting ti unfurl its leaves.  It's fab when it gets going.
    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
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    When zooming-in on some of the photo's, I think I can see what looks like Verticillium wilt:
    If that is present in your soil, you could consider using large pots and planters and using bought-in growing medium, if you really want to continue growing Japanese acers.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    Acers are temperamental bunnies.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    My orange dream is out now, some of the others do have silver stems  but buds on them
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
     two more are out,,and two more in bud
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