Hi, Looking for some advice. I purchased a 6' - 7’ Japanese Maple late last summer and due to landscaping delays it didn't get planted. It stayed and was cared for at the nursery I purchased it from over the winter. I picked the tree up 12 days ago and was fully leafed and looking beautiful. I transported the tree in the back of a pick-up on the highway but the head was completely covered. The tree sat in its planter in full sun throughout the morning and late afternoon until four days ago when I planted it using a four mix topsoil. During the last 12 days we didn't get any frost but had some nights that dropped to 5-7 degrees C. About 5 days ago I noticed some browning on the leaves and it's gotten progressively worse with nearly all of the leaves having some brown on them. The tree is also seeding, as you'll see in the attached photos. The browning of the leaves seems to precede the leaves drying and falling off. The nursery indicated that I didn't have anything to worry about unless there was a chance of frost and we certainly didn't have any frost since the tree arrived. Was it just too cool on some of the evenings for this Japanese Maple and is this why I'm losing leaves? Or could wind burn from the transport be the culprit? What can I do to help the tree? Thanks for any help.
I can't answer with any authority -- but I can say that these photos look very much like what happened to me with an Acer triflorum here in Maine under very similar conditions. I received the plant, nicely leafed-out, from a nursery in the Northwest. Immediately upon planting, we had a series of cold but above-freezing nights, with fairly strong drying winds during the daytime. The tree ultimately lost most (but not all) of its leaves. Still it hung on, and now -- about a month after planting -- it's putting out healthy-looking new growth. I didn't do anything special to care for the tree while it was ailing, other than feeding with low-nitrogen seaweed extract (because I didn't want to encourage any more tender new foliar growth) and just regular watering, as with all the other new plants. For a while, it looked like the tree was a goner. But now, with the dead and dying folige trimmed back, it looks okay. A little "weathered" maybe -- but that seems to suit this particular species.
Your evening temperatures certainly wouldn't have caused any problems It will probably settle down now that it has been planted
When it comes to constitution, A. triflorum is to "Big Brown" as A. palmatum is to "my little pony." ;) I'd guess the plant suffered from a little drying wind in transport, or just transplant shock. Hopefully it will recover rapidly. -E
In addition to what has been said and if I look to the second pic, another potential explanation for the symptoms could be antrachnose. You may want to have one affected leaf analysed by an expert. Gomero
Update: There was/is new growth appearing on the tree but even it seems to be drying and dying. After observing the sun exposure throughout the day the tree does get FULL sun with little or no shade. Recommended planting from the nursery and the tagging indicate full sun. Could the full sun also be a problem? Thanks
I would not expect Trompenburg to be affected by full sun in Toronto at the end of May. Trompemburgs in full sun in Southwest France show some tip burn late July. Your pictures are more than sunburn to me. Gomero
I shall have these words emblazoned on a placard and mounted permanently near the planting site, for the education and delight of garden visitors.
