Acer palmatum 'Orange Dream'

That is a very nice 'Orange Dream', but judging by the stem caliper I think you will find that it has left at least half of its root mass behind under the old patio. A problem for sure but not necessarily terminal, even in a heat wave. I would remove the plastic pot at once to allow it to have as much time as possible to establish roots into the surrounding soil. Do it ASAP to minimise the disturbance, you do not want to shock the plant again in autumn or next spring. Also, considering how much of the root mass it has already lost I would not be tempted to trim any more, no matter how fashionable root pruning is.

Remove the pot, replant in the ground slightly above grade, cover with a few cm of decent mulch and water heavily but not every day. Water every few days in a heatwave, once a week in normal fairly dry summer/autumn conditions, and not at all if we ever get any decent rain again. By next spring, if it survives, it should be okay without additional water.

The other problem is the East facing location will likely get more sun than the old North facing one which will put additional strain on the remaining roots. Orange Dream tends to go a bit crispy in full sun even when the root system is not compromised. They can handle some morning sun but I don't know how many hours full sun it is getting in the new location.

Good luck!

 

I read it too fast, once again : twelve years in the same pot, wow, you beat me ! <LOL>

I agree, whatever the solution you choose, take it out of the plastic pot.

 

Dear maf,

Thank you so much for the feedback and the tips. That's really helpful. We will take out the pot as soon as we can and hope for the best.

In it's new position, Big Dream (the canopy top anyway) gets over 6 hours of sun at the height of Summer. There is a Yew and a giant Leylandii next to it. I'm afraid that is the least sunny/most sheltered spot we have right now.

 

Dear Alain,

Thank you so much for your replies. Yes, we will take out the pot as soon as we can. It is quite worrying... the size of the pot vs the tree.The front half of the pot has been buried properly; the back half is being propped up with timber logs and is accessible. Not sure what slip-potting is, but we can take out those logs, cut away the plastic pot and finish planting the tree. Let' see... ;0) Thank you!

 

That should be workable. Big Dream looks quite dense so at least the outer/upper portion is going to be shading the inner and lower portions.

It is possible you will see some branch dieback if the volume of branches in the canopy is too great for the roots to sustain. Could happen anytime between now and next spring so don't be surprised if or when it occurs. The true test will be at leafout next spring when you will see how much of the tree actually leafs out. Do not be surprised if the maple stays the same size above ground for several years after the transplant, with little evidence of top growth; it will be growing a new root structure to replace that which was lost. After a few years it will enter a new phase and start increasing the size of the canopy, assuming all is well below ground.

 

Thank you, maf. So we have to adjust our expectations... Yes, I can see that it'd be the real test come next Spring.

If Big Dream survives and thrives, it would provide some much needed privacy to our front garden. Its dreamy orange colours would also greatly improve the street appeal :) I'll keep you guys post!

 

29th May 2023 and a very good year for my Orange Dream. Only one Spring frost.....so different to the last few years.

 

Hello everyone, thank you so much for your advice. It has been one whole year and I'm happy to say that our Big (Orange) Dream is doing well in its new location :)

Despite losing a lot of its root mass during the move, the 12-year-old tree managed to survive the hard frost last winter, leafed out and flowered in spring, and held on to most of its leaves through the Summer solstice. Some small branches did die off, but not too noticeable. The mild July probably also helped.

Thank you for telling me what to expect and how to give it the best shot! Our neighbours are loving it.

Ed

 

16th April 2024 and with some sunshine, blue skies and no Spring frosts, my Orange Dream is doing well.