Japanese maple

[tke357]

Hi,
Looking for thoughts on a new Japanese maple I planted, seems to be doing ok, but it’s leaves look weird. Does this look ok?

[MorpheusPA]

I'd check for insects just to be sure, but that looks fungal. I'd spray with a wide-spectrum fungicide as I can't ID the specific fungus--or take samples to your local extension office for them to ID the issue properly.

[andy10917]

A couple/few questions:

1) What is the variety of the Japanese Maple?
2) Show much have you been watering it?
3) When you bought it, was it in direct sunshine, or shaded by other trees?

[tke357]

Thanks guys, I’m ashamed to say I do know what variety it is. It was like this when I got it. It was in full sun amongst other trees, so maybe it was getting shaded? I actually thought this is how it was supposed to look, but me 15 year old was like dad why did you buy this diseased tree…
I’ve been watering every 4 or 5 days. It’s been in the ground about 3 weeks.

[andy10917]

You do understand that if you don't know what variety it is, the assumption would have to be that it's NOT a dwarf tree, and planting it 3.5 feet from the house is a terrible place for a tree that will grow to 12' to 15' tall (and the canopy will be roughly equal to the height).

[MorpheusPA]

I assumed dwarf--but yeah, that's right. And that doesn't, actually, look like a dwarf.

[tke357]

good point guys, i assumed a dwarf as well. I guess i will look to move it. Is the consensuses still fungal issues?

[MorpheusPA]

I think so, anyway. But they call me Half-Blind Harry at work.

My name isn't Harry.

[edslawn]

So, are you feeling lucky weed? Go ahead make my day!

[turf_toes]

I agree that knowing the actual type of Maple is important. Andy’s point about where one plants a tree is really important.

I do think that looks to be a medium-sized tree. The leaves look similar to a “peaches and cream” Japanese maple. It’s an interesting tree as the leaf colors change repeatedly through the growing season (green, to yellow to orange to red all before the fall even approaches.)

That tree generally grows eight-feet wide by about 10-feet high.

The link below indicates autum color as being yellow. I’ve got two and that hasn’t been my experience.

https://mendocinomaples.com/maples-by-h ... and-cream/

[MorpheusPA]

It's interesting to note that autumnal hues will be very dependent on your soil chemistry and feeding of the tree.

My autumn colors, with fantastic soil, would be expected to be stellar.

They suck. Trees go from green to dead brown the day we get a hard freeze, long after the rest of the neighborhood changes and goes through the normal colors. On the up side, summer gets an extension into late October or early November, including the gardens and roses, and starts on May first. On the down side, fall lasts about a day.

If you want good fall color, water stress the trees (once mature) a little bit in September. Not much. A little. Keep potassium levels a bit below optimal, closer to 2% than 5%. Conditions should be just a tad harsh--but never diseased or insect-ridden. I never do that, so everything around here chugs along happily, ignoring a light frost as though it's nothing, because they have the resources to go through it (or, in the case of sensitive plants, they're protected by a humidity shield woven the night before).

[tke357]

Thanks guys, I am definitely go to go back to where I purchased it to try and find out what it is. All good info. I’ve been googling too, I’m wondering if is possible that it’s a variegated variety? I don’t really care about color, was looking for a smallish tree for that spot that can take some part shade. It’s in a north facing spot, i tried a dogwood but it didn’t make it the soil stays wet. I have another Japanese maple in a similar spot that does fabulous, it’s green all year round and is only 5 or6 ft tall and is more of a weeping kind. Been there for a very long time.