Hi guys, Is this still the frost damage we've been talking about in this topic? Will my Sode Nishiki survive this? Seems to me some kind of fungus? Or dieback or something like that? Leaves are OK though... well... they are hanging on :)
It looks to me as if the parts of the twigs that are damaged are those most exposed to the sun? If so, then you are probably looking at sun damage to the twigs. Soft growth on trees new from the nursery, forced with NPK, is particularly sensitive to this type of damage. There may also be bacterial infection involved, but it is likely this is secondary infection that takes advantage of damaged tissue.
You think this will disappear once the tree gets settled? Or should I change location to shade? Which would mean... move into a container.
I can't say for sure as I have never grown 'Sode nishiki'. It looks like that area gets full sun all day with no respite - I would be fine with a tough green or red leaved cultivar in that spot, once settled, but I understand 'Sode nishiki' has yellow spring tones and some variegation, which would make it more sensitive to the sun. If it was my maple I wouldn't risk it, and instead position it where it received shade for at least part of the day. That is my opinion based on similar maples. If others are more familiar with 'Sode nishiki' they may be able to offer better advice... good luck in whatever you decide.
Yeah you are probably right, and now that I think of it, its not the ideal place for it anyhow. I maybe was too impulsive when buying it (although 100 euro for that size was an absolute bargain so no regrets there) but I should have kept it in a container. So the plan... dig it out somewhere in december when its not freezing? Would it hurt the tree if you don't get all the original roots? I mean... I don't remember the size of the pot, nor the depth... so chances are I don't get all of it... My guess is that that wouldn't really be an issue?
You do not need to wait so long. September is a very good month for repotting Japanese maples in the UK and I imagine it is equally good in Belgium as we are close and have similar weather. Because this maple hasn't been in the location very long you are probably better off moving it sooner rather than later, before it can get more established in the ground. It would really be less disturbance than waiting. Also, during the time between September and when the leaves fall it will have 2+ months to extend root growth and better to capture these storage roots in the new container where they will be fuel for next spring's growth. As long as you are not planning on extreme root pruning or jet washing the root ball there is no need to wait till November/December. I would try and dig out a little wider than the original pot and then remove some of the outer soil once it is out of the ground and you can see what you are doing a little better.
Alrighty then, September it is, thanks for the much appreciated advice! If its hot out I'll probably wait until the end of Sept. Got a baby coming around the 1st so probably other things on my mind then anyway :)
By the way, I also e-mailed Esveld (the big Dutch nursery) and they tell me its likely a mild form of Verticillium because of either wet ground or tight ground without air. They tell me that the summer we've had so far couldn't really explain that much sun damage. I thought that Verticillium means certain death. Once you have it, there's no getting rid of it and in a few years, the tree is gone. What do you guys think?
I don't know why Esveld tell you it is Verticillium without a proper examination being done, that is not very helpful. While I agree wet ground or tight ground without air are both bad for maples there is no need to bring the V word into it. There is a whole load of crap talked about Verticillium by people who really should know better. Congratulations on the baby being due. Given this good news I would move the maple now or in the next few weeks rather than wait till September as you will have more important things to worry about during that month! At this time of year be sure to select a cooler, cloudy and mild day to move the maple, preferably during a run of several consecutive cloudy days. They can be repotted successfully at this time of year if you avoid heatwaves and hot sunny days.
Yeah I'm a bit sceptical too tbh. Because its only on the sides where there's sun and wind. The insides of the tree are perfect. I think I will wait until Sept for repotting. Baby or not, I need my time in the garden anyhow ;-)
I'm seeing some new growth this week... that's encouraging at least. Don't know if that's a good sign or just a spurt of activity from a tree in distress... All growing on the non-sun side. Seeing those new growth leaves reminds me of why I love this tree so much.
The new growth seems to be fine and healthy. Is it 'Sode Nishiki' like in the post you mentioned ? From here (about 500 km S-W) , it looks like new growth on Katsura or orange Dream...
From what I have read about this cultivar the new growth looks like 'Katsura' and then the variegation shows up in the leaves at the green stage. And not in all leaves. (Disclaimer: I have not grown it myself.) Acer palmatum SODE NISHIKI from Maillot-Erable - The store MAILLOT-ERABLE Yano's 'Book For Maples' shows a spring flush picture that looks very like 'Katsura' and says:
