Hello, about 5 years ago I transplanted this 25+ year old japanese maple from a garden that was being demolished. I took a good root ball and it did recovered well in a shady spot under cover of some larger trees. Does anyone know what cultivar this is? Secondly, my garden is finally taking shape and I want to move this tree into a central spot. However the particular spot I have in mind does get a lot of sun from July - September. Would this tree do okay in full sun during the summer months? Thanks!
Certainly one of the green dissectums ... Viridis would probably be as accurate a description as would be possible I suspect
I agree that it will be difficult to move, but I've moved it once before so I'm not very worried about that. What do you guys think of the full sun part?
Full sun in Surrey might not be too much for your tree, but generally some form of shade is preferable
Full sun in Surrey is like half shade in my place: you should not worry a bit! In hotter summers (remember that happens sometimes in the UK ;-)), the leaves might scorch a bit in August/September but, other than the aesthetics, the tree will do fine. Gomero
Woops I should have been more clear Surrey (Fraser Valley), BC, Canada. The climate is very similar to Vancouver with slightly more Sun and less rain. Not the UK :)
LOL Just goes to show that if you don't give all the details the answers might just be a little suspect :)
When, at what time of the year, were the photos taken? What color is this Maple in the Spring - green, aocha (yellow-green), red or rust colored? What are the typical Fall colors? What color are the Summer or last flush where you are of the new growth leaves? To better know how well this Maple may perform in full Summer sun we may need to better pinpoint which Maple this one may or might be in cultivar terms. Could still be a seedling selection but for now I don't think this Maple came about as a seedling, so it is probably most likely a grafted plant or perhaps came about via a rooted cutting. A clarification is also required: a lot of sun and full sun during the Summer is too vague, will this tree get any wind and mid to late afternoon sun protection in the proposed new location? Jim
Hi Jim, very thorough comment. Appreciated. The pictures were taken last week on September 9th. I am pretty sure it is grafted (will check when I get home). Leaves turn yellow in the Fall. In terms of sun I would say that in July/August and early September the spot is full sun from about 10 am to 5 pm with temperatures peaking at about 30 degrees celsius. The spot does not offer any direct protection from the sun such as overhead trees. Wind is not an issue and outside of these months Vancouver tends to be cloudy and wet!
The issue is that even some of the red dissectums can be all green this time of the year. The hardest part to deal with in moving a Maple is how much are we afraid of actually doing it. If we take enough precautions, put some thought into what we want to do, we limit what may go wrong later. I am an old hand at moving trees that most people would not dare to move. That does not mean that I've haven’t made a few mistakes or miscalculations but we try to learn from them. I would not recommend that people move a Maple during the Summer here but I've done it and there are times I was glad I did. I do not like waiting until the tree is dormant, although several of the Master Gardeners would be hesitant to do it but then again how many trees have they ever moved and most of the time, they will not answer that question. What we tell others not to do may require some actual reasoning behind the claim. I've learned that if we are not afraid, concerned sure, worried not so much, then we have overcome our biggest obstacle. So, moving your tree right now is not an issue for me as you have some confidence that you can do it and yes, the amount of root system that you do not hurt will be to your benefit later. Some of the green dissectums do not do well in full sun. You will more likely see more tip and margin burn but when and if you see lobe scald in the leaves themselves you will wish you had never moved the tree. It is the lobe burn between the margins that becomes a real problem as when this happens the leaves do not fall from the tree but stay on the tree. When the leaves stay on the tree we limit the amount of new growth we will see come about from that limb or twig because of it. Had the leaves fallen we should see some new growth but the leaves that stick, stay on the tree, can cause a real problem for our next flush of new growth and subsequent flushes of new growth on the same branch. This is why when the leaves desiccate they fall off of the tree and we may see, we certainly do see it here, a new flush of new growth form or expand from the shoot where the leaves have fallen off of the tree. Considering where you have your tree now, it may be a whole new ballgame where you plan to have it next. Personally, I'd try to leave it right where it is but if you must move it then realize that it probably will take about five years for it to adapt to its new location. During this time span you cannot allow this tree to decline in the ground as then you most likely will see some limb dieback that can take years to be replenished and get back. Your biggest worry is if this tree does not settle in, put on some new root shoots and then see some top growth new shoots. If you see new top growth shoots soon after you have transplanted you may not get adequate root shoot growth as a consequence. If you do not get root shot initiation or adequate root shoot development your tree will stagnate in the ground and when this happens you might see some limb dieback that can wipe out much of your tree. As long as you have an idea as to what you are up against that there are issues that can develop after the moving of this tree, then make your decision and stand by it. The nice thing with Maples that turn yellow Fall colors is that we may see more golden tones with red splashes in the Fall colors, even orange tones, that we had not seen before. The trade off is what the leaves may look like with some chewing up during the Summer months now compared to the old location but the reward is stronger Fall colors where you are and in time you may see more total flushes of new growth during the growing season than before. Jim
