Watering Patio Japanese Maples

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Hi JM Lovers

Just another Question on Watering Patio Japanese Maples...

Can Potted Japanese Maples be overwatered assuming there is comfortable space for the Root ball,Sufficient drainage holes and the Pot is on raised Stilts...

It was Suggested to thoroughly water the Pot every other day.......

Just added this Picture for you all to enjoy if you haven't seen it before

Its by LOWELL HERRERO and is called "ERIN MARTIN"

Regards...Stephen,Cheshire.UK

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Comments (3)

houzi
8 years ago
Thought I'd give Gardengal a break ha ha.Yes you can overwater any maple in any potting medium.I've killed more than I care to mention by doing so.Even a soil-less,super free draining mix can retain too much water within.
I know,you see shrivelled leaves,you panic and you add more water....done this too many times in past.
It's always better if in doubt to underwater than overwater.If there's a little water present the maple's not gonna die but too much water can kill it.
Always check first,use the finger test as GG suggests,get to know the weight of the pot when quite dry and freshly watered.Barbeque wooden skewers are great for gauging the moisture in the pot.Leave them in there and withdraw when you wish to water.If they're already moist all the way up then don't water....even if the leaves are crisped.. you can't repair them but don't add more water.The plant will look fine again next year but at least it won't be dead.If skewers are dry at the top 2" and damp as you go down then you can water a little,you can feel where the water is.If the skewers feel actually wet anywhere except right near the bottom of the pot then don't water,there's already too much.
It sounds hard I know but necessary,remember containerising plants is always a compromise,you have to do a bit of work.
I'm in UK(Kent) too,to emphasise my point,some of my newest maples are still in their original potting medium and can need watering every day when weather's nice.You can feel the pots are light,the plants have 'drunk' all the water and start to wilt very slightly...obviously these one's aren't retaining much water but are healthy,the slight lack of enough water is doing no harm..it's just a bit more work.
Good luck..don't panic...and DON'T OVERWATER :)
privatejapanesemaplesanctuary thanked houzi
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 years ago
Well said, houzi :-)
privatejapanesemaplesanctuary thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
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Hi Guys.... Just another Question about Patio JMs...... With regards to Japanese Maples in Pots,(Specifically Slightly Heavier Trees up to 3 ~ 4 Feet) would it always be preferable to have the Pots elevated off the Surface on Slats of Wood..This would surely assist drainage Heavy Pots not elevated and sitting on say your Typical Flat Patio Flagstones would not seem to be as Free and Find it more Difficult to Reject Excess Water I use Pieces of wood approximately 15" in Length 1.5" Square and place the Pots directly onto the Slats... So the Question is "To Slat or Not To Slat" ???? I would be very interested in your Views over this Issue Best wishes..Stephen..Cheshire..UK
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Stephen, in your climate there is no need to go to any extraordinary lengths to protect your containerized maples in winter. They should be able to remain outside without issue. Your plant hardiness zone is nearly identical to mine and all my maples remain in place outdoors all winter. The only time I have ever done any protecting on my containerized JM's is when we were expecting an extended "arctic blast" (2 or more days of temps in low 20's /-4C) and then I gathered all my small ones together and covered loosely with bubble wrap. JM roots are sensitive to cold damage when grown in containers, especially small containers, so that would be my ONLY concern. JM's can be grown in terra cotta. You may just have to water more frequently in summer as terra cotta is very porous and moisture evaporates easily. And most TC is not very winter hardy - it spalls and fractures easily in freezing weather. JM's do NOT require an ericaceous fertilizer. Any good container fertilizer is fine. I use Osmocote each spring (and when repotting) and supplement with a liquid fertilizer with a full range of trace elements a few times during the growing season. Any JM, regardless of coloring, will appreciate some shade, especially during the hottest part of the day in summer. But if one lives in a cool summer climate - as I assume you do - full sun is usually not much of an issue, unless it is a highly variegated variety or with very pale yellow, gold or cream colored foliage. These all need a bit of shade to look their best. I know that wind is supposed to be an issue and maybe in a cold winter area it is but I have never encountered a problem with JM's and wind. And I live on a large salt water sound that is a funnel for some serious winter winds!
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I just installed a system myself so I didn't have to drag the hose and it only took me an hour to water. All my trees are in containers and most my plants are in a very free draining potting mixture so I don't have to worry to much about overwatering. Currently in northern ca. Its 108 degrees so I make sure to water often but just to be safe i don't over or under water each of my pots have a wooden skewer in them so I pull it up to get a feel of the soils moisture level. Getting a drip system right is tough it was a lot of trial and error with different emitters my system is still not perfect I'm still trying different emitters to try to get it just right. I got everything I needed from home depot or Lowes. My only advice is put your system on a timer that way you can change watering schedules with the push of a button. One last thing installing this system hasn't made my watering completely hands free I still check my soil almost daily to make sure its still running properly but that being said it has cut down on my watering time quite a bit.
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Before adding water, pop a few out of the pot and see how wet or dry the rootball is, then make a decision as to water or not. I assume they are outside in partial shade. The more wind, the faster they dry. Mike
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sollyhouse
8 years ago
Well that's at least two of us in Kent, I know lots about Dahlias but probably nuff all about JM, but as houzi said, maybe feel the soil in the container first and see if its moist, also keep the JM out of the wind as this can dry out any plant very quickly.....I was thinking of buying a moisture meter a few months ago.........but your fingers dipped in the soil for a couple of seconds will probably do the same thing..
privatejapanesemaplesanctuary thanked sollyhouse

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Watering Patio Japanese Maples

Comments (3)

houzi

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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sollyhouse

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