Acer tree

rlcooperxXuioVKms · March 2023

Hello all,

Very much a newbie gardener here with a bit of a wishful and hopeful post. My mum has had this Acer tree for years as a memorial for a family member but it seems to have lost its life when we moved house. I read online they don't like wind or too much sun so I've just moved it to a better location, but was wondering if there's anything else I can do? Is there any hope or has it gone for good?

Many thanks,
Bex

JennyJ · March 2023

That doesn't look promising

Try gently scraping a little bit of bark off with your finger/thumbnail. If it's green and moist underneath, there might be some life left in it. If it's brown and dry, try again lower down. If it's brown and dry right down to the base then I'm afraid it's a goner.

bcpathome · March 2023

Looks dead to me ,judging by the state of the soil and how small the pot is ,I’m not surprised. Scrape the bark and see if it’s got any life it should be damp to touch if it’s got any chance .If by some miracle it is ,then bigger pot with new soil mixed with growing medium /compost and water with some ericaceous feed you get from the garden centre ,you’re right about keeping it out of the wind . Do hope you can rescue it .

Nanny Beach · March 2023

Agree with the other posters. Scrape off a bit of bark with your fingernail. Has it always been in a pot?They are Japanese woodland plants, they don't like sun or wind.

Fairygirl · March 2023

I doubt that's alive. Most Acers will at least be showing signs of life by now - even if it's tiny little sprouts on branches, as they are here. I hate to say it, but - it doesn't look like a very good specimen anyway - it has very few branches, so it may well have been in decline for a while.
If you're in one of the areas that had serious drought last year, it may have dried out and never got rehydrated properly, but equally, if it got very wet, then froze, that won't have been ideal. The weather over winter has been difficult for many potted plants.
Plants in pots need a lot of attention compared to ones in the ground, and if they're in compost rather than soil, they won't thrive well either. Acers need a decent growing medium, plenty of moisture but also decent drainage. A semi shaded site out of strong winds is the ideal. The red ones do better with some sun, but not full on, midday sun.
You'll just have to wait and see if anything appears, and if so - a new pot with fresh soil, and the right site will help. I would take all those wires off too.

Acer tree

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