I just started landscaping my new home 2 weeks ago and i bought a japanese maple (Acer palmatum dissectum Ever Red) after the first week i noticed the leaves were starting to turn a light pinkish colour and falling off. I built my home on clay land, when i planted the tree i dug a hole double the size of the pot it was in and filled it half way with top soil and mushroom mulch and water then put the tree in and filled it in with top soil. i think i might of been overwatering it. Will my tree recover if i stop for a while? Should i replant it?
Dig it up as soon as you can. I think you will find it is soaking wet. Plant it on top of the ground and mound the soil around the root ball to ensure good drainage, and hope that you have got it in time
SAM has got you covered on this one... Being from an area of hard clay soil (central TX) I know exactly what you are up against! That hole you dug in the clay is essentially just a big bucket with no drainage and your maple is sitting in water. I did the same thing myself and learned the hard way! If there is one thing you do for any maple - beyond fertilizer or soil additions or pruning style or pest management - MAKE SURE IT HAS FAST DRAINING SOIL. If maples have "wet feet" they won't last long enough for you to play with any of that other fun stuff. I think you can save your tree if you can get it out of that hole this weekend. You'll need to make a raised bed for your tree, just make sure you don't bury it too deep, or the reverse - leave any roots exposed. If your local garden center sells Superthrive (B vitamins) or a liquid seaweed product (micro nutrients and plant hormones), I would humbly recommend you apply them. They will help your tree recover from the stress. We will all be rooting for you! Pun intended. Let us know how it turns out. :)
