I recently bought a small ( less than a meter high) Crimson Japanese maple. It has the very delicate 5 lobed lace leaves, is a mixture in color between the red and green (currently) and has sprigtails. I'm not so worried about the sprigtails except that as of late (last week) the leaves have begun to wilt or dry up quickly at some extremes and just fall off. I'm a bit worried. oddly though it has new growth, new small branches forming. I've kept it inside a rather small room that gets plenty of indirect light. Some afternoon direct (4-6pm) and I water it enough to keep it at a constant but once I see water coming through the bottom I stop. I live in Eastern Kansas close to Kansas City. I want to keep it as an indoor plant, more of a large bonsai as I plan to keep it eventually at 6ft. This dying back has me worried. Any help? I am new to this site but will try to post pictures as soon as possible if anyone thinks it will help. The branches are also starting to die. Just drying out. Maybe watering too much?
I don't think this plant (or maples in general) will survive as an indoor plant, except perhaps in a non-heated greenhouse. It's easy to forget, since these plants have been bred into such extraordinary forms, but Japanese maples are forest trees whose native habitat has natural cycles of heat and cold, sunlight and darkness, wind and rain, and all the other complicated features of a temperate ecosystem -- including months of winter dormancy. None of these things exist in an ordinary home. It sounds like you're giving it your best shot, but none of that will matter in the long run. Still, the tree looks healthy and should be fine if you take it outdoors.
I gave in and put it outside but the leaves are still dying, but only at the extremes... now though they are just turning a wood color, like everything got drained out of them. Almost like a burn...? it is located near a window could his be from the reflection? Any help or suggestions? It would be greatly appreciated.
