Is my Japanese Maple tree dead (or in the process of dying)?
dani_m08
last year
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dani_m08
last yearlast modified: last yearRelated Discussions
Is my Japanese Red Maple dead?
Comments (2)Wait a bit longer - the damage to various JMs around here went from a few injured leaves to complete defoliation, depending on the tree and the location. Some have begun to grow new leaves and some are still sitting there. As long as the cambium - the layer right under the bark - is still green when you scratch lightly on a twig, the tree is alive. You may have some tip die-back to trim off, but the tree itself should be fine. Most trees have auxilliary buds; they will grow and leaf out soon. Wait until the leaves are clearly growing before you do any trimming, and be careful of the emerging leaves. Resist the temptation to clean off the old leaves, unless you did it straight away - you might damage the emerging buds. Water the tree well, but don't drown it, as JMs don't like standing in water. And don't fertilize until the tree has almost all the leaves out, and then lightly with a slow release fertilizer....See MoreIs my Japanese red select maple dying?
Comments (3)I'd suspect you are simply looking at transplant shock. June is not a great time of year to plant a JM in the midwest and some negative reaction from the tree is to be expected. Just keep it properly (but not overly) watered and it should produce some replacement foliage. If you could contrive some sort of midafternoon shade until the tree becomes established, that would probably help a lot. Red Select is quite sun tolerant once established....See MoreHelp with large Japanese Maple, Is it dying? and Pruning help
Comments (6)That would be 'Oshio-beni' and it is a small shrub-like tree with a rounded canopy and a very low branching habit. Removing the lower branches to create a more "tree-like" appearance would NOT enhance the appearance of this particular maple cultivar, IMO. Exposure to the late freeze a large part of this country experienced around Easter could have had a pretty detrimental affect on this tree.......I'm not surprised the nursery was offering it at a bargain price. That plus its age and very mature size makes it a risky candidate for a 100% successful transplanting. I hope you got some sort of guarantee, as $1000 is a lot of cash to layout for what may best be a 50-50 proposition. If the so-called 'dead' twigs or stems are a pale or silvery gray, then they are indeed most likely dead. This can be confirmed by bending the twigs - if they snap cleanly and with a dry, tannish interior, they are dead wood. Also, viable twigs and stems will have distinct buds on them. Rubbing off a couple of buds will expose the interior, which should be succulent rather than dry and brown. All dead wood can/should be removed and there is really no restriction as to when this can be done. Other pruning (which I don't recommend for this cultivar) should wait until December or January when the tree is fully dormant but before the sap starts moving. My final suggestion is if you have never pruned a tree before, a Japanese maple of this age, size and potential value is not a place to start :-) Hire a professional or take some classes, preferrably those that emphasize Japanese maples, and from a very well-qualified instructor. As a 20 year nurseryperson and landscape professional, I've seen more trees and shrubs mangled - often beyond redemption - by well-intentioned but uninformed homeowners who do not understand how, when and why to prune. Know what you are doing before you start or leave it to the professionals....See Moredead leaves never fell of my Japanese maple. Should I remove?
Comments (9)I'm in zone 6 for those who wondered... I'd never had issues with my potted maples before...and this was my first year that I even wrapped the pot with leaves, bubble wrap and burlap for the winter months. Guess that may not have been enough with this prolonged winter.... ;-( Also my plant is on an (elevated) balcony which only exacerbates any cold conditions... There's no last ditch effort I could try...maybe like 'pruning' all the branches just above a 'knob', to see if it stimulates some new growth? I suppose I could also try to scrape the bark a bit and see if I see any green underneath? And if I WERE to see green underneath, but yet still no new buds, then would conclusion could be made then? Tx!!...See Moredani_m08
last yearlast modified: last yearnandina
last yearJeannine Mahoney
8 months agodjacob Z6a SE WI
8 months agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
8 months agoJeannine Mahoney
8 months ago
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