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Is my acer alright?

RubyRossRubyRoss Posts: 124
in Problem solving
Does this acer palmatum 'Dissectum Flavescens' look OK? The branches in the centre all look grey, almost dead, while the ones on the periphery have soon colour. I think there are bits of colour returning to the grey ones, but maybe I'm imagining it. Is this normal and should I be worried?






Posts

  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited March 2023
    All my live branches are green (+red), all my dead branches are grey (at the tip).  not flavescens.  Do the grey branches snap easily?

    Grey going back to colour.  Unlikely.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • AuntyRachAuntyRach Posts: 5,291
    Anything grey and brittle is dead wood. It does look like most of it is grey BUT you may as well wait to see what it does as it should be springing into life anytime now if it will. Make sure it’s sheltered, had good drainage (use pot ‘feet’) and give a mulch of new compost on the top for now. 

    I hope it is ok as it looks at least 5 years old. 
    My garden and I live in South Wales. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd do as @AuntyRach suggests, but it doesn't look great.
    If you can move it to a sheltered area where it won't get too much sun, especially after frost/ice, and won't get the worst of wind and rough weather, that will give it the best chance of recovery. Sometimes they can take a real hit, but can gradually recover.
    If it does start to come back, you can take off the dead grey stuff, but avoid going back into live wood until it's dormant again -just to give it the best chance of recovering properly.
    Fingers crossed for you.  :)
    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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