A few of my maples are starting to brown and crisp near the tips of the leaves, but only the "outer" leaves. The leaves more toward the interior of the plant (which are more protected from the sun) are mostly ok. So, is it safe to assume this problem is likely due to sun damage, since it seems to be affecting the leaves more directly in the sun? I would assume if it was a water issue or something else, all the leaves would suffer the same thing. Thanks! Oh...and I'm having a bad time with my Shishigashira, but I don't have photos yet. I'll update when I have photos to post. It does not look good, and I don't know what the problem could be...
My maple that I planted last October has the same symptoms. Is it too much fertilizer? Too much water or too little water?
A little leaf tip burn is very common and by itself not cause for alarm. Here is a sprited blog post that I remember coming across: http://www.davidsansjapanesemaples.com/leaf-burn-and-japanese-maples-the-scorn-of-the-perfectionist/
I am going to experiment using an anti-transpiration product such as Wilt Pruf to see whether it will reduce tip burning. I sometimes use this product to reduce transplant shock. I will use only a dilute solution, maybe 1/2 to 1/3 of the recommended strength. My experience with using it at full strength on transplanted plants is that although it can significantly reduce transplant shock, it can also cause eventual dropping of the heavily coated leaves.
According to this website, salt burn can cause the burning of leaf tips. I did fertilize my tree with granules and my local water has a high salt content and high degree of hardness. http://www.carlmontnursery.com/page.asp?page_id=166
If only the very tips of the leaves are burned, and especially if the maple is newly planted, it is nothing to worry about.
