Hello, I just purchased a 3ish foot Tsuma Gaki that I am in love with. I re-potted it using Garden Valley potting soil, and gave it a good soak this last Sunday, no water since then. I know over-watering is a big worry, but, I SWEAR it looks a little limp. The moisture seems fine; the soil is still moist at the top of the pot, so I am afraid to water it more.... My questions are: A:Those of you that have Tsuma-Gaki, are they slightly temperamental to various changes in elements that might cause them to be a little limp? B: Just how often should you water potted maples in mild spring conditions? I'm thinking that twice a week should be sufficient while its not too hot, but if the top of the soil is still moist, is that too much? These trees mean a lot to me, and I would hate to lose one from a silly mistake on my part.
It depends what you mean by limp. The leaves of 'Tsuma gaki' naturally hang downwards when they are newly emerged, but I doubt you are referring to this as it sounds like you bought the tree fully leafed out. If the limpness is more of a wilting phenomenon then that suggests overwatering or more likely a potting mix that does not drain well enough. My limited experience of this cultivar is that it is a little temperamental and certainly does not like wet feet. If the soil is still moist at the top of the pot 3 days after watering (assuming it has not rained) I suspect the potting medium is not free draining enough. I need to water my container maples every 2 or 3 days at this time of year. I don't know what is in "Garden Valley potting soil", but if it is fine textured it is not suitable for growing Japanese maples, unless it is opened out with the addition of bark chips/perlite/grit/gravel/turface etc. to improve drainage. Not a good picture, but this is the sort of texture of potting mix that Japanese maples like: If you post the pictures you mentioned maybe someone can give more concrete advice. (Edit: I think it was your other thread where you mentioned photographs, so that last sentence does not make too much sense.)
hmm... Yes, that soil is significantly more "mulch-y" than the one that I am using. I asked the nursery about mixing it with sharp sand (as this is what Vertrees suggested in his book) and they said it really wasn't necessary, as the soil contained pumice stone for aeration. Perhaps I should get a bag of mulch and mix it with the existing soil? Or should I leave the tree as-is to prevent much more shock? Tsuma-gaki looks good this morning. I'm thinking it might droop a little once it's out of direct morning sunlight.
If the soil has plenty of pumice it should be ok, but obviously hard to tell from here. Maybe best to wait and see - observe how well the potting mix drains and how long it takes to dry out, and how happy the maple looks. If you do reach a conclusion that the soil is not draining adequately then the quicker you can change the potting mix the better.
I have a Tsuma Gaki, and the leaves definitely droop in a graceful (or pathetic) fashion when they are young. As the leaves mature, they sit mostly horizontal, but the outer 1/3 of the leaf still sags. I bet your tree is fine, so watch and wait before you do anything. I live near you, and I don't start watering any of my outdoor maples in containers or in the ground until late May or June, when we start to see long dry spells. We get enough spring rain that you shouldn't need to water much if at all. If the top of the soil is still moist, you should not water the tree.
Thank you all! I haven't watered yet, and the tree seems to be adjusting nicely :) I think once a week might be the right bet for this time of year.
I agree, here in the humid NE, I really water sparingly, preferring to err on the dryer side of things. If it's raining, I leave well alone. There was a string a few years ago about potting media, with someone recommending and sourcing an article about straight, fine pine bark mulch, and I found a suitable medium here (pine soil conditioner) and have used it ever since with very good results. You have to repot as usual every few years, but it drains well, and doesn't stratify and get heavy as the sand mixing tends to do pretty quickly. I have stayed away from any standard potting soil mixes for a long time as they tend to hold moisture more than I'd like. I just added this maple to my garden this year, a 3rd year tree, potted, and can't wait to see it leaf out--it is just starting. I've seen a larger tree in the ground that was absolutely stunning and have wanted one ever since. David
For me, my Tsuma Gaki was tempermental. It has died back slowly over about five years and I finally stuck it in the ground last year and told it to live or die. I never did figure out whether it wanted to be dryer or what. Good luck. I love it, too. Can't decide whether or not to try another. Kay
I went and bought some coarse-textured compost and re-potted just about everything including Tsuma Gaki at a 2:3 ratio of compost to potting soil. When I pulled some of them out of the pots, the soil at the bottom was SO heavy with dampness; I'm very glad I decided to mix! The soil looks much more like yours now maf. Everything seems to be draining much better now, and I am so excited to watch them grow knowing that I've done everything I can to ensure success :)
