I can't see anything from below the graft either. I think it's a wait-and-see job. Keep up the watering as needed until it loses its leaves for the winter, then again next spring/summer, particularly if there are dry spells. Looking at pictures online, some sellers have pics of young plants of Sango-kaku with long upright and arching shoots, so I expect it's just doing what it's meant to after being freed from the pot. The ultimate height seems to be quite big, 4m or more over 20 years, and slow-growing doesn't necessarily mean steady and even over that time - I still think it's just had a growth spurt.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Good stuff @Edward.francis. Looks like it's all fine It's not uncommon for some to grow like that. As @JennyJ says, the change from being in a pot to going into the ground can be enough to prompt some rapid, uneven growth on some varieties.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've had a related experience.. bought an acer in spring 2020, put it in the ground in the worst possible place (very exposed). It was almost dead so I decided to re-pot in ericaceous compost. It has come back alive that same season with very long branches, and a very weird shape overall (partially a product of losing some branches when it was dying). This year I repotted into a very slightly larger pot, mainly because it was in plastic and I wanted something nicer. Again just ericaceous compost. It has put on a lot of new growth. I have also been feeding it with liquid feed for ericaceous plants. I think all those nutrients spurred the quick growth but not sure really..
Unfortunately it still has a weird shape. It is also my fault for putting it against a wall so it kind of grows away from the wall and it's sort of "one-sided". I am really afraid of pruning it but maybe I have no choice
@Dedekind - if you're keeping it potted, re do it with a soil based medium, and you can add a little bit of ericaceous compost too. Drainage is also very important for Acers, and it sometimes gets forgotten. Keeping pots up on feet helps, but a bit of grit mixed through the soil is also helpful. Compost just breaks down too much and doesn't give the shrub enough sustenance, which then means you're constantly feeding artificially. That can also mean you get those growth spurts too. The idea is to get slow, steady growth. Some Acers naturally have odd spurts of growth, but you can also prune carefully to get a 'shape' once a plant is healthy. Wait until you can see the framework easily , and then get the secateurs out and try a little bit of snipping. Certainly remove anything dead, back to new growth I know what you mean about plastic pots, but they're good for retaining moisture, which can make a big difference if you're in a very dry area. Terracotta is lovely, but it absorbs a lot. Glazed pots are the best for Acers, as it doesn't dry out quickly, and of course - they look better. You can waterproof terracotta with varnish or PVA, and that works very well. I use PVA on the inside as it can be a bit streaky when I rains.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
So now all the leaves have dropped I'm turning my attention to pruning. Here is what the tree looks like bare. Do you think I should prune back the long branches that have grown quickly last year? Not the best photos I'm afraid.
Yes I think that is what it needs too but what is a more pleasing shape?, that is the big question. I'm planning on reducing some of those long branches so that they are no longer outliers.
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E
It's not uncommon for some to grow like that. As @JennyJ says, the change from being in a pot to going into the ground can be enough to prompt some rapid, uneven growth on some varieties.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Unfortunately it still has a weird shape. It is also my fault for putting it against a wall so it kind of grows away from the wall and it's sort of "one-sided". I am really afraid of pruning it but maybe I have no choice
Compost just breaks down too much and doesn't give the shrub enough sustenance, which then means you're constantly feeding artificially. That can also mean you get those growth spurts too.
The idea is to get slow, steady growth. Some Acers naturally have odd spurts of growth, but you can also prune carefully to get a 'shape' once a plant is healthy. Wait until you can see the framework easily , and then get the secateurs out and try a little bit of snipping. Certainly remove anything dead, back to new growth
I know what you mean about plastic pots, but they're good for retaining moisture, which can make a big difference if you're in a very dry area. Terracotta is lovely, but it absorbs a lot. Glazed pots are the best for Acers, as it doesn't dry out quickly, and of course - they look better. You can waterproof terracotta with varnish or PVA, and that works very well. I use PVA on the inside as it can be a bit streaky when I rains.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
So now all the leaves have dropped I'm turning my attention to pruning. Here is what the tree looks like bare. Do you think I should prune back the long branches that have grown quickly last year? Not the best photos I'm afraid.
Many thanks,
Ed
https://www.google.com/search?q=pruning+sango+kaku&oq=pruning+sango&aqs=chrome.0.0i512j69i57j0i22i30j0i390l2.9267j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx