I have a two year old acer palmatum fireglow planted on an east wall, it's about five feet tall, and all the leaves are dried up. In Sacramento this year we've had about 6 day over 100 degrees. What can I do?
burned up in Sacramento uk midlands, due to the recent planting of your tree I think that it is simply transplant shock. 'Fireglow' will take a lot of sun and heat, more than many other Japanese Maples. It sometimes takes years for certain cultivars to acclimate to a site and your cultivar once established should do well in full sun. Make sure it is not planted too deeply and water deeply but infrequently. I would not have planted in compost. Japanese maples although a delight for the senses are not vegetables. I plant mine in indigenous soil. fireglow22, is yours planted close to a wall? The climate in Sacramento is not like Pacifica you know. It's sometimes hot. If planted adjacent to a wall, the reflective heat may be posing a problem for yours. You might change the surface of the wall so that it absorbs heat rather than reflects heat. A color change perhaps. Better still, plant a vine on the wall to soften the effect. You could move the trees away from the wall and they may do better. Good luck and be patient yet diligent.
