Although purchased from a quality company specialising in JMs and potting it in quality soil, my first Mikawa Yatsubusa died from Verticillium wilt in its third year with all typical symptoms : ( I wanted to give this peculiar looking variant a 2nd attempt, purchased a new tree (just eight years old and three feet high) in the second week this April, planted it in a terracotta pot with a slightly acidic well-draining soil-mix, and watered it well since (tree times per week, around 23°C every day, sometimes windy, it's a high-up terrace). A new pot, soil and location are of course some kind of shock to any tree, but the new growth after purchase that appeared over the last two weeks this May looks very pale, almost translucent. The first tree that wilted away never showed this leaf colour in spring for the three years it remained alive. Is that yet another disease? Am I just doing something wrong? Thanks for some opinions!
Hi Rosy, first of all you say it's an eight year old tree. Has it been in the same pot for a few years? If this is the case then the compost it's in may be spent. I re pot every two years. This ensures adequate nutrients to the JM. You also say you are on a terrace with 23 degrees heat. Does your Mikawa get enough afternoon shade? As now is not the time of year to repot, perhaps you can add a slow release fertiliser. You are ok giving a feed now, I never feed after July 1st to my older JMs and nothing to youngsters. My personal opinion is that your Mikawa could do with some feed. It also does look a nice tree you have purchased.
Thanks, it grew eight years at the company I purchased it from, they kept it in "standard" pots, then I repotted it once at home in fresh slightly acidic well-draining soil. The terrace has an overhang so it only ever gets direct sun light from 3pm until 8pm. I have not used any fertiliser yet, so maybe I should use some, carefully. Yeah, they really do look fantastic. I hope this one will stay with me for a few decades, unlike the first one.
Although I’m not as experienced as many on here I am also certain this is just new healthy growth. The tree actually looks very happy. Understandable you are sceptical if your last tree didn’t have this look in spring, but that may have been because it wasn’t well. I’d love a Mikawa but I just can’t find one here in the UK. Anybody know where I can get my hands on one? Thanks
Hi Luke, check eBay £20 for 2 ltr pot plus postage. Yes we all panic a bit when our Maples don't look as we think they should. Sure Rosy's Mikawa will be fine. In our early days of growing and collecting in the late 1970's the first thing we would do was water,water, water. Guess what 'they died'. Now we just give the right conditions and mostly they do fine. But as with all plants you always get some failures.
Thanks Acerholic. Just checked eBay and sure enough there it is. I have yet to buy a plant online and without actually seeing it first. I don’t want to get ripped off. However, the chances of one being available in the local garden centre are extremely thin so I may have to take a leap of faith. Thanks
When at Barthelemys in Wimborne a couple of weeks back, they had 1 Year grafts and also older plants available.
Yeah, of course there are failures. I am very new to these plants, regarding watering regime particularly (high up terrace, some very windy days in summer and autumn, sun from 3pm onwards until 8pm. I guess it is just new growth that looks different than the new growth of the last tree (the one that wilted). I have an Autumn Moon, Jordan, Pixie and Yatsubusa (all between 3 and 7 feet tall, the latter two are new since this April). So far, the Jordan and Pixie seem the most robust in my context. I water my trees 0.5 gallons of water every two days from late spring until late October (then they have to be wrapped for winter).
Try Hippopottering Maples in Doncaster they do mail order , or Packhorse farm nursery in Derbyshire but they don't do mail order!! but i was there a few weeks back and he had some nice ones in good sizes, well worth a visit if possible. Both of mine came from these two suppliers one in the ground for nine years now and the other for seven years both nicely established but very slow growers , so they don't take up to much room, plant them and forget about them they look after themselves see pics of both of them, they will throw out interesting shapes. If you buy on the well known auction site be sure you get the sellers to send you a picture of the actual tree you wish to buy and it's not a random stock photo. There are plenty of people out there selling them , it's just a case of tracking them down and finding one you like. Good luck -Mark
Lovely specimen ROEBUK. Wonderful photos in the sunshine. Also nice bark around the base that sets them off. Still looking forward to your next utube video hint hint. I just received a nice maple from Hippopottering.(Shishigashira). They have been swamped since Chelsea so Luke might have to be patient if he orders from them. Packhorse does look impressive with their stock, shame they don't do mail order.
One day I really need to make the drive to Packhorse, you’ve recommended them to me before and looking at their site, it has to be on the must visit list. Beautiful specimens by the way.
I’m a little different with watering regime, drips irrigation, twice a day for 10 minutes, water just starts to seep from the pot. However, I only do this with the majority that are kept in terracotta pots. These dry out “completely” with the mix I use in between watering.
Funny you should mention the videos just collected my new digital camera this morning (still trying to work out everything on it) have about another weeks work left in the garden to catch up with before i do anymore vids , injured my knee in late February so every thing "garden related" has been neglected since then , plus my old camera was slowly dying so i couldn't take any decent pictures or vids etc so i really couldn't be bothered until a few weeks ago when i slowly started to get mobile again and the interest is gradually returning slowly , finding things that i could do in 30 minutes now take hours the "to do" list just keeps getting longer ! A few test pics on the new camera seem quite impressive Manyo no sato which is looking really good this year , back in a pot where it's showing more variation and colours again (not one for the ground this cultivar) then a Tsuchigumo and a pretty clematis. Decided to re lay all the back with a good grade chunky bark chipping mainly to help me when it comes to the weeding and general maintenance in the garden makes it so much easier, can get down but can't get back up :) :)
Sorry to hear about your injury, I'm in my mid sixties now and I know only to well that injuries take so much longer to recover from. The joy of gardening and seeing the results makes all the hard work so worth the effort. This forum and utube has made so much difference to the enthusiasm for Japanese Maples I'm sure. We have only just joined the Maple Society after decades of growing and collecting so are really enjoying all the postings from the UK, Europe and the US. Retirement gives you that bit more time. Look forward to seeing the results of your new camera and seeing your lovely maples. Well done.
Thanks I will keep an eye on their availability etc. Amazing Mikawas! I decided to take the plunge and buy the one Acerholic found for me. I then added a Beni Otake and an Ukigumo to my basket. I have been looking for these for a little while so I’m quite excited. I do of course realise that they’ll be tiny.. And will be for some time. Thanks everyone and thanks again Acerholic.
