Why Is My Japanese Maple Dying? - JAPANESE MAPLES 

Yes for sure that helps a lot

All were young trees.

Drainage is the key above all else for maples

To wet is standing water for any extended period of time. Maples die if they are holding water. Good drainage is key

@@MrMapleShow'holding water', you mean the trunk or roots? For instance they love shadows, that means, ground will dry less out in summer, so chance if if you turn the ground it's actually wet. For instance, city planted a bloodgood? But it's never watered and next to heat soaking building, they both lots 33% of branches (burned out no more new leaves). These do NOT have wet feet :D Yet they are worse then my trees. So is there a splash of (permanent water), above the roots? no. Is the ground ultra wet? Yes, the boots sink 3cm in ground top layer cause to much rain. Really hard to make an estimation about this. At some point we also had non stop 30 miles an hours windspeed, (at relative warm 10°C) it didnt remove water from top layer, but it dried it out a little preventing pools or anything. In ultra hot weather (40°c record tempts here, earlier records were 36), dried out top 30cm and lower lvl also wasnt good. This is why i made this 'wadi' (dont know english word, it's a little pool where water is able to infiltrate ground and dry out at times but overflood at times too). This means once the rampage of 20-40°C for 7-9 months start, the ground will always have an amount of backup, that will get them tru biggest drought with minimal watering. The ground structure is also better, it cant crack, like in extreme situations. We'll see who's right soon. But you are kinda conflicting yourself 'it need watering' 'it needs to be dry at root level, no 'clogging', once you water or it rains, or is winter and rains, 'ground is cloggy' there is no way around, it may not be swampy but it is cloggy. If this advice was truly true lot more trees would die. Another thing, there is a well next to the japanse maples, once it's hot, this will dry out the top later faster, but the layer under that will have it's own stury layer of water supply.

@@Matti6950 It’s not a complicated concept to understand. Japanese Maples do not like to be in a lot of water. They never like standing water. Roots or trunk doesn’t matter. It’s very simple. Extremely simple. Watch the video again and listen to it. Follow the advice

The earth is not the problem, it's the kind garden centers like you purchase 'farm earth' we call it', After a day of rain (even 40mm or liter)/per square meter, all rain goes inside ground, so there is no lake forming. However, since it has rained 400-700mm/square meter in 3 months, it is very wet, and you sink in a little big into the ground, we need 20+°C to fix it (soon in march i think we'll get that). So far Acer aconitifolium doesn't seem to dislike it, the other two are in slightly better position (higher then from lowest position). In summer there is no way this ground will be 'to wet', it's not clay at all etc. Only fall ultra rain might be problem, but then again, wich ground can resist 1000 liter per square meter in 3 months? I don't think that's any type of 'clogging' you can fix, you keep saying clogging is something that you can fix, but except not planing next to a lake i don't think you can fix it. @@MrMapleShow

Did you try SUPERthrive on the maple? How is the Maple now?

@@jasric89 no i didn't. They both did not survive unfortunately. Going to try and repurchase and try again. This time I'll try to over winter in the garage. Thank you so much for the response

Did your tree ever leaf out?

Glad it was helpful!

They should always go dormant in winter

Thank you. Should I plant some small plants at the base of my emperor 1 to keep the roots cool. If so what plants should I get.

Some can be later to leaf but you should something starting by this stage. Check it’s drainage

We should have a big selection this spring

@@MrMapleShow okay thank you so much I’m really looking forward to it!! I have a few American and sinensis wisterias and really want some Japanese ones next🤩🤩

We have great videos on both

How to Prune A Japanese Maple - JAPANESE MAPLES! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-r9NQ0explG8.html

Same same same and I live in the PNW. I am so worried. Someone said to mulch it..I am going to try that.😔

If it is a green upright and below the graft it should be completely removed back to trunk. If it is above the graft and consistent with the other foliage just stake or train it. Likely it’s below and you should remove. I’ll add a video on this soon also

It can mean the tree is in a shock. Check to make sure it’s not to wet by hand

I would move for sure to see if saved. Water will kill maples for sure in access especially coral barks.

Windburn is not commonly an issue unless there are extreme winds (consistent 40 mph+ winds). Humidity changes in the fall so it would likely be a watering issue.

@@MrMapleShow Thanks for your help.

I have the same problem right now.. it grew new foliage and that happened. The bottom leaves are green with white spots but doesn't look like mildew

Any luck with this?

It really just depends on how much damage was done. Is the cambium is stripped all the way around the plant it may have die back to that point

@@MrMapleShow Thank you for your reply :-) It appears they did not touch the trunk, just ate most of the branches from the delicate tips back toward center, leaving branch stubs. They did the same to my young Gold Rush Dawn Redwood.

Bonsai can be tricky. They require a lot of root maintenance to stay in a small pot. Have you been shaping it? If not I would bump up to a larger container soon

@@MrMapleShow I have been doing bonsai for over 20years and never had my maple do things like this,so I thought I would ask since my techniques wasn't working any other suggestions. Tku dj

It has a chance to make it if the buds are healthy. Some stress is common the fist season. It may require more shade next season until it’s established. The steps you took seem all good ones. Depending on how cool you get this fall it may stay dormant until spring but if it’s green underneath and has buds it has a good chance

Make sure it’s not staying to wet also

@@MrMapleShow thank you I’ll stay on it.

Lichen is normal on older trees and doesn’t hurt the maple at all

Really just depends on if it is still appealing

@@MrMapleShow thank you! If I felled the dead stem do you think the other stem will die?

I’m not going to sugar coat it that isn’t good for sure. Greatly depends on exposure and size. If it is movable you may want to try to get it into some fresh soil and see. If it has buds sometimes that’s good.

@@MrMapleShow Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, I can’t move it, it’s a mature tree firmly rooted in one of our flowerbeds (it’s about 6’, around 8-10 years old). I went ahead and fed it about a gallon of miracle gro mix (1 granular tblspoon to 1 gal water) about a foot around the trunk, hoping for the best. I guess I’ll keep an eye out for either any signs of new growth or brittleness of limbs.

Very possible. If you have healthy buds you should be ok

Over watered perhaps. I've noticed if I'm overwatering the new growth looks deformed

It has been shown to lower cambium size. It doesn’t outright kill them but I can have longer effects and issues

I appreciate all of the information you have provided.

It’s likely to wet then

@@MrMapleShow u think it will die or what should I do to fix it it's sooo sad 😔!!! Thank u for answering me

Yes if they are crunchy

@@MrMapleShow ok thank you for replying 😃

Make sure it’s not staying to wet. If it is in more of a fall color change that can be from stress. That is typically a good time to plant but also make sure it isn’t planted to deeply

Use insecticidal soap

@@MrMapleShow Thank you. I purchased that yesterday after watching another of your videos.

@@MrMapleShow What is the best soil brand for Japanese maples, that actually drains well? I used Happy Frog and it does not seem to drain well, which could have created the infestation and dormant tree in the current spring. 😞😞😞

Very low. I don’t think it could even be measured in lbs for a single plant. I use a 15 or lower on the nitrogen and then as the specific fertilizer instructs.

@@MrMapleShow OK, good to know was planning to use something like plant tone after the first year which is a 5-3-3 so it sounds like that is the right track.

We are in the NC mountains that are known for fall leaves but you would be surprised by how many people don’t know that some trees change color in fall or what deciduous means…

We have multiple wells abs we treat for fungus

@@MrMapleShow wells abs?

We only recommend moving them from ground to ground out of leaf

@@MrMapleShow explain that a little further for me. Sorry this is a first for me. Purchased the home and the tree was in a awkward position and needed to redo the grass so I moved it to the front of my house

@@Kasuev If I may, ground to ground means they are assuming your tree is not growing in a container. But was in the ground, you dug it out of the ground and replanted it back into the ground in a new location. Sometimes this is called transplanting. Also, Japanese maple trees are deciduous, like oak trees. This means that in the fall, the leaves will change color and then drop to the ground. So, after the leaves have fallen off the tree and before the new leaves begin to grow in the spring, the tree is considered out of leaf. In summary, transplant a tree in fall after the leaves have dropped, or spring before the new leaves appear and possibly winter if the ground does not freeze where you live.

Repotting shock it sounds like🤷🏽‍♀️🇬🇧

No they can do great in pots with good drainage

That is what we are trying to help identify in the video. Hopefully some helpful tips

It can is it covers it

@@MrMapleShow I planted it a around my maple and I’ve heard the ivy takes all the water from the tree.

@@MrMapleShow I’m worried the ivy roots are too big over it.

And the ivy takes all the water from the tree.

@@denisestrittmatter595 maples do not like a lot of root competition

😂