Hello Everyone. I'm new to this site and would like some input. I'm looking for a faster growing JM I can grow in my area that has mostly sun. I planted a Bloodgood that the tag said was for full sun but apparently it's not. I'm trying to save the poor thing but am not having any luck. I'm also having trouble with a laceleaf I have in a pot. It has been doing well for three years in the shade of my house but this year...trouble. the leaves are dry and crispy.
Any suggestions?
Kwanjin
Here is the whole yard. no shade after 10:00am-10:30am. Some shade after 5:00pm.
To be honest there arent any red formed japanese maples that prefer full sun. Bloodgood is brobably one of the best reds that can tolerate it. Emperor I supposedly holds up well too, but I haven't noticed much difference.
As you have undoubtably noticed, there will be significant damage when the trees are young. Once the root systems have strengthened and the tree has adapted to the sun you will see only minimal damage in full sun. In S. Car. we have a bit less heat than you but alot more humidity (which seems to cause more damage), and bloodgoods generally start to stay fairly burn free after about 3 years in the ground. So, you could just leave it be and deal with it for a couple of years because it will be difficult to find anything that will hold up much better.
I personally wouldn't plant any japanese maple in full sun all day even though so many people do it, but if I had to 'glowing embers' would be my first choice. However, it is a green variety which is relatively new and somewhat difficult to come by except at high end nurseries probably.
Okay Matt. This tree has been in the ground for one year. I can live with the look for that long. I was just hoping the JM could!
I have been noticing the red maples in my area lately and they ALL seem to be having problems this year. It's got hot VERY fast. Thanks for the help.
Kwanjin
Kwanjin, I would think that maples would love your area. You may just be having a harsher summer than normal.
Hang in there, they may be a bit crispy this year and do fine next year. It's difficult when you think you have lost one, however.
Laura
All the trees in this area are suffering. It jumped straight to the 100 degree temperatures this year in July. A few even in June. This maple is still green when I do a scratch test so I'm not giving up. Thanks for the encouragement! I'll stick with it!
Kwanjin
Your yard is not an ideal JM yard...you will likely always have sun damage to your trees in full sun no matter what anyone tells ya.Matt is correct as they grow older ...if they make it ....they will do better...but still have damage IMHO it may just not be as noticable cause it's a bigger tree higher up and more branches and leaves.
It seems to me that I had read the soil is weird in SLC and not too Jm friendly ...you might check with your nursery on that ...it can contribute to stressing the trees...I think that was posted last year in the garden web ...also there are varias micro climates there where conditions vary widely ...my memory is not great but I think it was SLC and the discussion was between two guys that lived in differnt parts it was interesting but I would reserch a bit further to see...so you can address those issues.David
Okay. I need to rethink. I need shade for them first? Do you have other maples to suggest? I love the look of them and I know some do well around here. I just don't know what they are. Or other trees that are similar? I have years to work on this so time is not a factor. I only wish I had found you all before I started with this.
This tree is small and I could move it somewhere else. Perhaps into a large pot?
Kwanjin
My suggestion is to talk to a nursery that has some JM's in SLC and talk to them.or post on the Garden web maple Forum...they are NOT as nice as we are but have a larger group to draw from and I think some of your SLC'rs are in the maple forum there... it is almost impossible to post pics direct you basically have to use photo bucket or other share sites unless you are a computer savant.. but one thing is for certain you do have alot of sun... Many JM's do fine in containers for many years and that may be the way for you to go but you still have to find some shade for them...for them to do well IMHO David
My Tsukushi gata is in full sun and while it's only been there a full year it's been fine as far as leaf burn goes. However, this has been a very mild summer but last summer was not. Tsukushi gata is not red year round. In my area Sherwood Flame and Suminagashi did fine in full sun. Again though you have to risk leaf burn. On my patio in the sunniest windiest place in my yard I have a seedling maple. Of course you really won't know what you are getting and they can get very big. They are as tough as nails here.
I'll have to keep looking I suppose. I have been looking at the plant files of JMs and while I can't grow them now...
I'm a little worried about the one already in the pot. It's VERY crispy this year. Should I worry or just keep a close eye? This is last year and it is out of the bucket and in a proper pot.
Kwanjin
I will get a better pic tomorrow.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2007 12:09 AM
The best you can assume is that it will come back next year. I've had plants totally crisped in August that have come back fine.
I'm hoping. I've never had a tree crisp so badly before.
A close-up...
We have one viridis at the nursery that has defoliated 90 percent...but it is already budding out with new sets of leaves. Chances are if you keep it watered will come back fine, maybe not this year but probably in spring.
Okay, thanks matt. I keep it up.
Kwanjin
I am having the same problem, here in North Ogden...
I have decided to plant a good sized tree which will grow in full sun to help filter the full sun my yard has, then I am going to also plant the smaller laceleafs under the full sun trees? Thats my plan for the spring, I would love to have several varieties and can't figure out how else to shade my yard. I did however plant a Japanese Maple in the only spot in my yard that has shade with some sun - so far it has been doing great!
I planted a green filigree maple in the front yard this spring - its lovely, I was really worried about it, it receives mostly full sun, but in the evening it is shaded from another large tree.
According a local nursery owner; the maple will not grow well in clay soil.
I had to haul in some good top soil and heap it to plant this JM. I soaked it like 3 times a week in the summer due to are scorching temps. It turned a beautiful shade of orange this fall, pleasant surprise....
It's always heartening to know someone around here can make it work. Thanks for the help. I, too, am going to plant something else until it's okay for a JM.
flowerprincess, I grow JMs in clay soil without a problem. Everybody has an opinion I guess.
Kwanjin, yep good to know others having problems due to weather, etc., I have been frustrated due to full sun everywhere in my yard. Now I have to figure out what kind of tree I will like that will grow well in sun....
Doss, glad to know they grow well in clay! That will help me save money on extra soil, I will have to plant a few new year and see how they do :)
I have to admit that I do amend my soil but of course as the trees grow bigger they send their roots straight into the deeper clay with no problem.
Doss you hit a constant nerve of mine ( in a good way) ....bigger jm's are NOT as shallow rooted as the old wives and husbands may suppose ......It always bugs the bejeeebers out of me when I read a post form some poor newbe who wants to move a large established JM and some eager beavers chirp in how yes ...go for it it's no big deal.... boy does that gnaw on my leg bone.... your statement about rooting into the clay over time tells any "idiot" that it will not be a sunday walk in the park moving a large JM...no matter what some 'bozo" says ... Of course you must take into consideration an " Arnold" the Govenator type in his steroid days with ten friends from the gym and alot of time on his hands may be the exception ;>) but that doesn't even speak to replanting and the always possible demise of the tree itself!!!! David
I have one where the diameter of the dripline is at least 20 feet across. Don't plan on moving it soon. LOL
Oh gosh. This is all good stuff to know. Soon as I get some proper shade, a JM is going in.
Thanks, everyone, for the help and advice.
Just a side Q. What do you folks think of Catalpa trees?
I personally love them ....but it's a love from a distance ...they are messy ...My father was Catalpa nut but the ones he planted were away from stuff... I am sure some may consider it a junk tree cause it is messy but in the right spot they are beautiful and long lived...I love big leaved trees with color and the catalpa is one of them.and the catalpa is VERY differnt than any tree I know of which having something differnt is cool IMHO. The seed pods are neat ...I have NEVER noticed any spreading of seeds like the evil silver maple or mulberry ...but others might know more ...when you see one catalpa you never see a gizzion others like the junk trees just mentioned ... . ...there may be also all male varieties available now like Ginkos it would be worth looking into ...
I assume????? they will grow in your area??? David
doss
I planted a weeping 'Omurayama' Japanese Maple about 2 months ago, the section of the yard I planted it in had really hard clay, I amended the soil and dug a larger than usual hole, I have been worried about it growing in the clay, it is a unique variety and I loved it.
My neighbor kept telling me, "its not going to grow."
I feel a a littel more reassured now and looking forward to spring.
Also happy to hear they don't have as shallow as a root system as I've heard, I worried about how they would do with a shallow root system in the wind.
Sometimes I think we make it a little difficult, just take care of it love it and it will grow...
The only thing I would say ( unasked for opinion) ...Is that I would mulch REALLY heavily and somehow protect it from the wind /cold... I would feel much better about it if yiu had planted last spring and the root system had more chance to become established ...you planted on the cusp of too late in the season in my experience and ultimate protection will be required to get it thriough the winter...although some feel fall planting of JM's is ok and it may be in some areas I have found it is not an opportune time ...you may have just made it so do all you can do to protect it and cross those fingers ..David
Unless you have caleche clay like San Diego does your tree should be fine. You've planted it now so we might as well assume that it's going to do fine. :-)
There are a lot of opinions around. One nursery insists on amending with rose planting mix, one with a special amendment, one tree guy says that it's better not to amend clay when planting trees! And there are a lot of formulas that folks here favor.
David's right about protecting your tree through the winter though since it was planted so late. Be sure to mulch well - and don't bring the mulch up to the trunk of the tree. I'm not in a cold weather area so I don't exactly know what else you can do to protect it.
Myersphcf, thanks for the input. There are some catalpas on the street about six blocks from us that are beautiful. And then there are some that the people have cut back so far, they look like giant mushrooms. Yuck! And you are right about no little seedlings under or around them.
Flower, can you give us a pic of your little JM?
Doss, no clay like San Diego. When I was a kid, we lived in Santa Ana, so I know what you're talking about.
I lived in the Ogden area many years ago, and you have beautiful weather for maples, but coooooold snowy winters. Are you near one of the canyon entrances where the wind blows? I don't recognize the name of the city. The tree may need some extra protection from wind if not in a protected area. I nice snow coverage to keep it warm in winter would also help. I would worry more about the ice fog in winter than anything else.
Best of luck and I bet it will do just fine.
Laura
Luckily we haven't had any freezing temperatures or snow yet... good for my tree not good for the ski lovers... ha ha
I live west of the canyons, so don't get the cold canyon winds.
Weve actually had a warm fall, so hopefully the tree has been able to get established.
I always thought fall was the best time to plant trees; good to know JM should be planted in the spring.
I mulched with soil pep bark and fallen leaves pretty heavy. Any suggestions to how to shelter it from the wind?
Thanks for all your info. I love JM's and would love to plant several more varieties next spring...
