Laceleaf Japanese Maple with issues

10 years ago

Hello all,

I was given this Japanese Maple ~3 years ago from my parents' neighbor. I don't know what specific cultivar it is.

Before I received it, it was either severely pruned or received damaged. (Or maybe this is done intentionally to make these shrubby maples keep their size? My ignorance shows here.)

I assumed this would heal, but it's been slow in doing so, and this year I noticed a bit of die back from branches near the wound. Advice on how to proceed?

And here's how it looked around May or June of this year:

Thanks in advance for all your sage wisdom!

--JC

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
I don't know what specific cultivar it is.

==>>>

again ... it doesnt matter.. a tree is a tree ...

the trick here... is that it is grafted on a standard .. as it looks to my eye.. that that 12 inch trunk.. is different than that above ... thought i cant tell with that 90 degree bend in the trunk ...

if so.. if you remove everything above.. .you will lose the pretty cut leaf dwarf maple above ....

any time that that part sprouts.. it should be removed.. if i am right.. and it is a different plant ....

now.. again.. what is you goal.. other than to butcher up some plants.. lol ... i know bonsai type peeps who might steal that plant in the night for the cool weathered.. damaged trunk ... and looking at the last pic.. in full glory.. its not an apparent problem ...

so.. basically.. let me suggest you are thinking about trying to fix.. what is not a problem ... i call that... loving a plant to death ...

and dont get me wrong ... i also have the inclination.. to help it heal better.. but from the pix.. i just dont know how you go about that... without removing a lot of good stuff.. and simply opening more gaping wounds ...

if i were standing there.. maybe we could dream up some course of action.. but based on the pix.. i say.. forget about it ...

this thing MIGHT collapse in the next 100 years .. due to the problems you think you see .. so be it when it happens ... IMHO ..

if you have a real inkling to prune your brains out.. and feel like driving to MI .... i can find you some real trees that need some work .... lol .. a few are on the verge of me having to pay for it.... and i wont care if you destroy them.. lol ... by the time you are done.. you will be planting things.. just so you can go prune your own stuff .....

have a great day ...

ken
JonCraig
Original Author
10 years ago
Ha! Leaving it be was (and has been for the last few years) my thought, too. And I'm glad to hear someone agree with my thinking re: that woundÃ¢ÂÂ¦ namely, hacking it to make a smaller, clean cut would lose a LOT of top growth.

One thing you mentioned that got me thinking, and it makes perfect senseÃ¢ÂÂ¦ You're saying that the graft point is on top of the trunk? (That would explain the weird 90 degree angle business going onÃ¢ÂÂ¦)

Here's a pic fm Dec 2010 that gives a better angle for the area in question.

{{gwi:495876}}
Related Discussions
HAVE: 2012 Red Japanese Laceleaf Maple Seeds
Q
Comments (1)
It's a beautiful tree. I'd like to give a try growing this tree. I have red barrel cactus seed pod to trade. Pods are still in the plant, will pick them anytime I am ready to mail. Let me know if you like to swap. Thanks.
...See More
Green Laceleaf Japanese Maple
Q
Comments (4)
It looks pretty appropriate for the season to me. Yes, it loses its leaves - if in sufficient sun, these can turn some pretty dramatic shades of gold and orange before they fall but if in a lot of shade, the colors are much less intense. The brown, dry leaves may be an indication that it is not getting enough water. That does not appear to be a very big container for that large a tree so frequent watering may be called for. You may also want to consider potting up to a larger container size this winter when the tree is dormant. Southern California also has somewhat alkaline water sources, which are not favored by JM's. Water pH should be somwhere between 5.5 and 6.5. You might want to acidify your irrigation water slightly by adding some household vinegar to the watering can. 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water.
...See More
Transplanting a japanese laceleaf maple
Q
Comments (9)
I'd try getting as much root as possible, rather than trying to get a perfect rootball. 1. Start new hole (final size determined by how big plant turns out to be). Wide and shallow. Dirt on tarp. 2. Start digging next to tree. When general perimeter to be used is found, dig trench. Again, focus on root retention rather than undisturbed soil ball: due to limitations on size and weight that can be handled successfully, most soil balls on purchased plants are too small, barely have more intact fine roots than barerooted stock from a warehouse. 3. Undercut, drag onto conveyance (tarp, cart...), replant asap. Mulch and water well. You should have forks for exposing roots, spades for cutting them and shovels for moving soil. I would try to split the difference between intact soil ball and complete barerooting, forking dirt off the outside to retain long roots but leaving core undisturbed. For one thing, there may be an original clay ball left from when the tree was in a nursery field. Get this job done promptly, some deciduous trees and shrubs are swelling already. Original edition of TREES AND SHRUBS FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST GARDENS said Feb. 15 was the winter transplanting cutoff around here. Lately the growing season has been 2 weeks longer than in the past, due to global warming. So, if you add a week to this end of the growing season the dormant transplanting season would be over next Wednesday! Plants are sure acting like it. (Varies with situation, of course, some plants bud out much later than others, some sites much colder and wetter than others).
...See More
None Cultivar Japanese Laceleaf Maple Picture !!!
Q
Comments (10)
Yeah, I'm in the same boat as Mike.......most of my containerized maples are looking less than stunning. Since about the middle of August, I've been undergoing some minor but rather disruptive construction. Everything on my deck - most of the maples - got schlepped elsewhere or were all jammed together, making proper watering a difficult task. Plus, some got way more sun rather more abruptly than they were used to and they are all looking pretty stressed at the moment. Heavier on the brown and crisp and less good fall color :-( Now that I am able to move everything back and get organized for winter, there's a lot of leaf drop going on. But I see a lot of nice fat healthy buds coming on so all should be good next season. The one thing that did seem to appreciate - or at least responded well - to being moved into more sunlight was my golden oakleaf hydrangea, 'Little Honey'. It is normally in pretty full all day shade but got moved so that it was in late afternoon and evening sun and it's developed the best fall color I have ever seen on it!! I may have to rethink its placement for next season.....
...See More
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
yes.. i did suggest such ... with the caveat that its hard to tell from the pic ...

either a graft.. or someone sat on the leader way back in time...

though i doubt there are many.. if any .. of such form that are not grafted...

but i am no JM connoisseur. ...

ken
Sara Malone Zone 9b
10 years ago
It's almost certainly grafted. You might post this in the maple forum.

Sara
lucky_p
10 years ago
That big ugly dead exposed stub will never 'heal over'. Pruned back flush with the callus tissue at the edges of the wound extending back down that branch, it's possible that the callus might eventually roll over and encapsulate that dead heartwood, but you might just as likely always have an open wound, with rotting heartwood there.

Laceleaf Japanese Maple with issues

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

JonCraig
Original Author

Related Discussions

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Sara Malone Zone 9b

lucky_p

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Laceleaf Japanese Maple with issues

Comments (5)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

JonCraigOriginal Author

Related Discussions

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5

Sara Malone Zone 9b

lucky_p

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

JonCraig
Original Author