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Young JM doing poorly after late frost

15 years ago

Hello JM lovers!

We purchased a young JM and planted it around April 25. Shortly after (in early May) we had an overnight frost (the temps dipped to about 30 degrees one night) The next day it was back up to 60 degrees. All the beautiful leaves withered up and fell off one by one but there is plenty of new buds growing. The problem is, as soon as the leaves emerge and get fairly big, they also wither up and eventually fall off. With all the new buds, why are all the leaves dying?

Is this JM doomed? I have a one-year guarantee on the plant, so I could take it back, but I want to hold out hope that this will eventually thrive.

thanks for your input.

Kelly in WNY

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Comments (5)

mattnova
15 years ago
How much water is the tree getting and how often? Has the wind been really bad? Also, what kind of sun is the tree getting? How large is the JM and what cultivar is it? Is it potted or in the ground? Do all the new buds still go all the way to the tip of the branches(terminal buds)?
kellyoc519
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi Mattnova

Thanks for answering! The tree is an "Acer Palmatum 'Atropurpureum'". It gets plenty of water (rain and nearly nightly watering) .The wind has been calm to slight. The tree gets full morning sun and afternoon shade. It is planted in the ground. The buds are growing all along down the branches to the main trunk and I think to the tips. The tree seems otherwise healthy, but the leaves just keep wilting as soon as they get big.
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mattnova
15 years ago
I can't be sure but sounds like you might be watering too much. About twice a week would be more appropriate if it has mulch. If it isn't planted on a raised bed and the hole is filling with water when it rains, that could also be doing it.

How is the soil there? Clay soil often drowns your tree. You want 2-4 inches of mulch around the tree yet not touching the trunk which will retain water, give a little insulation from fluctuating temps.
kellyoc519
Original Author
15 years ago
You may have hit it - heavy clay soil hereabouts, and about a good inch of mulch on top. It is raining at the moment, but once the skies clear, I will stop watering for a while and see if things improve.

Thanx
mattnova
15 years ago
If it doesn't improve within a couple weeks, I would replant it on a raised bed, protected from wind somewhat or keep it in a pot.

Add something to the dirt that promotes aeration and drainage. Expect the tree to take a couple weeks to recover after transplanting. I use a mix created by Al here on the forums, its works great and its almost impossible to over water using the stuff on a raised bed or potted.

Click the link at the bottom of the page for info on Al's mix. If you need to find the stuff, I have gave you some ideas below.

1. aged pine bark - home depot sells soil conditioner which is this exact stuff. Make sure it says on bag aged bark whatever you buy. Regular Pine fines bark will work if you can't find this.

2. Chicken or Turkey grit- available in small bags at tractor supply company. If you get a big bag look for it at chick feed store. Which ever kind you get, make sure its crushed granite and bigger than BB size as in the BB of a BB gun.

3. A Turface substitute for small batches is Aquatic plant soil found at Home Depot or Schultz soil conditioner found at Ace Hardware.

Here is a link that might be useful: Al's gritty mix discussion

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