Acer palmatum 'Bi hoo'

21st August 2020, two named Summer storms are going to hit later today with winds of 50 mph plus, so I thought it better to take photos early.
All have picked up this last week due to cooler conditions and long awaited rain. The colours are changing !!!!
Not everything is a disaster with my Bi-hoo, some scorching to the tips of the lobes, but that is so usual with this tree come August.

 

August 24th 2020 and I am keeping the photo diary going the best I can. So much rain and tomorrow 70mph winds forecast. Will the leaves be there for October!!!??
Tried my best to get another of the leaf I took on the 21st to show how my Bi-hoo is really picking up now.

 

4th September 2020 and the days seem to be getting shorter and shorter, which is a bit too fast for me. Busy time of the year in the garden for us maple growers, with less daylight !!!
A morning with no dew or rain, but colours now popping up everywhere!!
The yellows and greens are fading to pinks now on my Bi hoo. A little scorch here and there, but for this maple not too bad at all.

 

17th September 2020 and the colours are making a big appearance now. Even my Bi-hoo is going the lime to yellow phase now.

 

Probably one of the first in the UK,had this for 10yrs.now.It should by rights be 12ft high by now but up until 2years ago I had it languishing in a small pot.At last it's started growing again,now 7ft and thankfully no new outbreaks of alternaria.Like Sango Kaku it has become a bit bare at the end of the branches so might get some die back over the winter but at least it's getting bigger now(though I'm gonna regret that soon ha)
Will post some pics in autumn to see if it's still got yellow bark right down to the graft.It does look wonderful if the leaves are still on when the bark turns a matching yellow...a completely yellow tree!

 

@Houzi good morning J, that is one of the best Bi-hoo's I've seen. Lots of patience needed with this one !!!

 

Thanks D,there must by now be some giants around,especiallly as this grows so fast in it's early years.Not so much trouble from this now,haven't had to get my 10% bleach out for a while....I use that to treat everything ha.

 

28th September 2020 and after a few days of cold it's going to be warm again. 20° C. Strange year !!!
My Bi-hoo although showing signs of going over, still was looking pretty IMO.

 

I keep reading that everyone's starting to get fall colours,has it come early for you guys? Some of mine are showing reddening from a hot summer and a bit tatty round the edges(like me), but I haven't seen any fall colours yet.We don't usually get that here until November these days...it's like the seasons have been knocked back by a couple of months.
Edit...actually thinking about it that's not true.The cold period is so brief now,and not really cold anymore...disasterous for so many reasons.

 

@Houzi good afternoonJ , I think you are so right about the seasons and especially where you are in the garden of England. I agree also that it is dissaterous for our maples, as they don't seem to fully go to sleep in the Winter anymore and if they do it is for a shorter and shorter period evey year now.
My Autumn colours are just starting here in Hampshire, but I still have so much new growth, it's quite weired !!!!

But you never know, nature might just shock us with a cold few months from November !!!???????

 

5th November 2020 and all the leaves have gone on my Bi hoo. But this is primarily what this cultivar is all about, the yellow branches in Autumn and Winter.
Amber ghost is in the background btw.

 

17th December 2020 and even though no snow to make my Bi-hoo look it's best, it looks pretty nice in the early morning sunshine.
Always with Sangu Kaku to give a lovley contrast.

 

Bi hoo is one of those cultivars that shocks you when you first purchase it and plant it in your garden, with it's die back causing some disappointment. But then early Spring this happens.

Photo taken today 16th February 2021. All is forgiven!!!

 

8th April 2021 and the maple that gets smaller every year in my garden, is now getting it's leaves. Such a difficult maple to keep happy.

 

10th April and yes I know it's only a couple of days, but when I saw this just now I had to add it.

 

i will be posting a pic of this one soon. it leafed out about a week are so ago and i couldnt get a good pic of it .

 

Mine is getting smaller and smaller and smaller. It will be a perfect shohin example very soon!! Hope you have more luck with this cultivar D.

 

My 'Bi hoo' is due to be reported tomorrow. According to my earlier post I bought this tree as a young graft from Hippopottering in 2013, doesn't seem that long ago.

It is currently in a pot around 25cm diameter. I think this will be the third repotting since I owned it.

There is one small twig this year that is showing black and will need to be pruned out. Generally it has not suffered many issues, not required much pruning, and has done better than expected. The one thing that I think has helped is that I have encouraged this plant to stay small and tough rather than trying to boost growth. Soft growth is always a route in for infections and I much prefer to grow my container plants small and avoid that floppy growth in the fall that causes the issues.

It is about 4-5 feet tall and upright. The main trunk still shows the bright colour for which this tree is known.

I should add that I have it in a nice sheltered spot under an old apple tree and with other shrubs around it. Would say it gets dappled sun and some protection from wind.

 

23rd June 2021 and I wanted to show my Bi hoo today as it's starting to grow at last. This maple is very temperamental and can take years to settle fully.

 

2nd July 2021 and my Bihoo is enjoying this weather, perhaps it won't get shorter this year ???? Lol.

 

I put mine in total shade. I'm going to move it to its previous place, where it gets some sun in late afternoon for 1 or 2 hours.

The upper branches have long internodes and the leaves are scorched, or damaged. I think it's a sign that the roots can't find enough energy, to me it needs repotting.

 

14th July 2021 and some pretty colours now appearing on my Bi hoo.

 

The leaves at the top have brown spots, the ones lower down are a nice lime colour :

 

So many this year have those brown spots.

 

After repotting this year mine has put out about 60cm of new growth on several stems near the top of the plant and is starting to lean or bend towards the light. I may have to stake it for a while to keep the form how I want it. Never had it grow this much in a season before so I hope the new growth will be hardy and it does not die back in winter...