Acers

[Gardian]

We've got a couple of really nice bronze Acers, one a standard, the other a bush, both in quite large pots and brought out from the UK. They're both getting on for 10yo and quite big - goodness knows how much they'd cost to replace, whether here or in the UK.

Last Summer, we left them in the sun and they quickly got 'a bit sad' and the leaves went to green. On our neighbour's advice we put them in the shade. Despite that, premature leaf drop and frankly we thought that we'd lost them both.  About mid-March this year, they went in to leaf as usual (though a lot earlier than in the UK) and were as good as ever, though we've kept them shaded this year.

Now however, the leaves are starting to 'green up', though the plants seem to be completely healthy.

Any ideas anybody?  Re-potting?  Special feed?

[Chris Head]

Ian the trees sound lovely, but I think it's about time they were given a new home and re-planted! They've spent a long time in their pots and are telling you that they are stressed and need to be elsewhere! Make sure they have water. If they were mine I would want to wait until they are dormant, in the winter, and then re-plant them, you might get away with replanting in the middle of the summer as they are quite dormant then but I would think that you would risk shocking them much more than if you waited until the next winter.

Good luck, Chris

[Tresco]

Ian, I was reading up about Acers recently.

Haven't got enough experience myself, but have a look here. It's someone with a similar problem and lots of 'experts' answering.

http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4163

[Tony F Dordogne]

We had a similar problem with an acer we bought with us last year.

Repotted with new compost (ericacious) and now it's superbe.  And hopefully I'm going to get some of the seeds that it's currently setting to see whether I can grow them on.

[Gardian]

Chris & Tony - thanks for your advice. Just what we were looking for. After more than a few glasses of wine discussing your advice early evening, we've settled on Sept transplant into either bigger pots or (more likely) open ground with a good dose of ericaceous underneath them (it's a bit alkali around here).

Tresco - have printed out all that stuff and have nearly run out of paper / ink. Will read 2moro in the cool light of day. Thanks.

p,s, Where on earth do you find these websites?  

[Tresco]

Ian

I was reading up about Acers  in my Big Books of Gardening recently, and so I knew of the problem, but I didn't know how to explain some of the reasons for the change in leaf colour. I suspect I would have shown myself up badly if I had tried, late last night. [:$]

I searched Google using a few different combinations of wording .  I had a look at a few sites, but the 'conversation' I linked you to seemed to cover just about every possible cause of the problem, as you have found to your cost in ink and paper[:)]. 

Those guys are Acer fanatics!