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Japanese maple saplings

max.wallace21876iJiUfEnmax.wallace21876iJiUfEn Posts: 5
in Problem solving
I fortunately found and rescued two sapling Japanese maples from Lowes that are distressed. The leaves are sort of soggy, and hanging on what appears to be healthy bodies. Tips appreciated
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Posts

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    Is the compost in the pots wet or dry? Are the pots in the shade or in bright sunshine?
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • max.wallace21876iJiUfEnmax.wallace21876iJiUfEn Posts: 5
    I've planted them in a mostly sunny spot. They were in pots I added miracle grow soil and covered around with mulch. They were ijammed nside the store between other trees with no sunlight, soil was very wet.
    It's possible they were brought in from freezing, temps overnite hit 32, perhaps too late tho. No one there knew what happened
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I'd keep them in a shadier spot - sun isn't great  for any plant that's struggling, and especially for Acers. The reds can cope with it when healthy, at a later stage.
    Are you in the UK @max.wallace21876iJiUfEn ? When you say temps hit 32 overnight - do you mean Fahrenheit?
    A photo would help though  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
     @Fairygirl … googling Lowe’s maples suggest that the poster may be in Canada. :smile:

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Ah - I certainly didn't recognise the name @Dovefromabove, but I didn't think of that!

    It's unusual for us to use F instead of C for temps here, which is why I wondered. The alternative was someone in the southern hemisphere and it was a late summer temp, but I felt the former was more likely  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • max.wallace21876iJiUfEnmax.wallace21876iJiUfEn Posts: 5
    @Dovefromabove
    @Fairygirl
    Wild, wonderful West Virginia US presently, though I would ❤️ to be in UK !  Happy to be associated Yes, 32F, my apologies...And now they've been planted it hadn't stopped raining for 2 days. I have a large umbrella on stand  to block some sun, when it returns. 
    What about "Thrive" supplement? Anyone?
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Mystery solved @max.wallace21876iJiUfEn   :)
    No need to apologise - it can be difficult when working out posts sometimes, and it's easy to assume everyone is in the UK. 
    Lots of sun is always difficult for any plant if they're struggling, so any shade you can offer them is good. They're essentially woodland plants, but need good drainage as well as moisture. Rain is certainly not a problem for them at all - it's why they grow so well  in many areas in the west of the UK, and certainly here in the west of Scotland, as the soil suits them too. 
    I don't know what Thrive is, but it's never a good idea to feed plants which are struggling. Better to wait until they're recovering and growing well. Most Acers need very little help if the soil is right, and the general conditions suit them. 

    If you can add a couple of photos, that will help too.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • max.wallace21876iJiUfEnmax.wallace21876iJiUfEn Posts: 5
    @Fairygirl These were right after planting, as they were in store, not much has changed in 3 days later
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    edited April 2023
    Personally I would now just leave them alone and let them get on with it.They will either recover or not.
    It may even take a couple of years or so.
    Maples can take having all their leaves removed (as in bonsai) so can have a second flush.
    Just leave them be for now.
    🙂
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    They're certainly hardy to well below the temps you mentioned, as long as they're already properly acclimatised, and established, which will have been part of the problem as those have been undercover and therefore had a fair bit of foliage on them. If they went straight outside from an indoor location, they'll really have struggled with that. It's called transplant shock.
    I think the ground may not have been well enough prepped either, if you just dug a hole in the turf and planted them with some compost. However, all you can really do is wait and see how they fare. They may drop all that foliage, but if they're happy, they'll grow some new stuff. When you water, make sure it's in at the base, not over the foliage. 

    They'll take a good while to improve, assuming that they do. Several months probably. Make sure they don't go short of water through summer if you don't get reliable, regular rainfall. That's where the good drainage comes in too   :)
    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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