Hi Everyone, I live in sunny Ireland, We bought a new Japanese Maple - Acer Palmatum - Dissectum Tamukeyamas about weeks ago and planted in our front garden. But now it is looking quite poorly, the leaves are shriveling up and some of the branches are drying out and look dead to me. Although there does seem to be some signs of new buds appearing. Can someone give me some guidance on how to look after this tree and what steps i should take now to ensure it survies through the winter. I dont want to sit back with fingers crossed and hope all will be alright come next spring. Many thanks for any help and suggestions. Kind Regards.
I know it's frustrating, but sometimes this is the best thing to do. It's late in the season to expect (or want) the plant to put out new growth. Japanese maples, like all plants, will tend to naturally adjust -- albeit sometimes slowly -- to new growing conditions, and at this time of year the plant is mainly concerned with getting ready for winter. The best thing -- and maybe the only thing -- to do is to give it stable growing conditions and leave it mostly alone. Don't overwater, and don't feed it too much. A light dose of some low-nitrogen, moderate-potassium fertilizer like seaweed extract (which may help promote healthy root growth) should be all it needs right now. You can give it a light feeding of a balanced fertilizer next spring when the buds start to open. These plants are slow-growing compared to other things in the garden, but that's just their nature. They are usually better off without a lot of coddling.
Some pictures would help - it is hard to tell how serious the problem is from a description. It could just be relatively minor stress from the recent planting or it might be more serious. Kaspian's advice above is sensible, but one question I would add in a wet country like Ireland; what is the drainage like? Waterlogging is one of the quickest ways to kill a Japanese maple and the symptoms would be similar to what you describe, hopefully your Tamukeyama is not sitting in a depression where water collects. If you suspect waterlogging dig it up immediately and replant it somewhere more appropriate such as a slope, or build up a mound and replant in that. Good luck.
