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Maples and Leaf Scorch
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Posted by Jack_San_Diego Z9 CA (My Page) on Wed, Oct 5, 05 at 19:51
I have been growing Japanese Maples, both as bonsai and in the garden, for many years. I have lived at the beach and as far as 12 miles inland. I live 5 miles from the coast today.
The maples grow great in the Spring. They look beautiful in the summer until August. Then the leaves get scorched. Even when I had them in homes that got the afternoon shade, they scorched.
What I find interesting is that, come early fall all the maples get new leaves. During the Indian Summer, like today, the maples break out with new leaves. They will grow new leaves until December when they will fall, never getting scorched.
Above is a picture of a Bloodgood Maple I planted two years ago. Today new red leaves are breaking out.
Is this a natural cycle for Japanese Maples?
Jack
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Maples and Leaf Scorch
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| HI Jack. the problem you are having with your maples is common. I have several japanese maples of different types (bloodgood, lace leaf, ect. )and they all do the same thing you have just discribed. I have all of my maples in pots so I have experimented a bit from year to year trying to see if the amount of sun they receive at different times of the day have any effect on this. the one thing that I have noticed is the trees that get filtered sunlight ONLY all day are the ones that get scortched less if any at all. I live in Texas so the sun here is brutal. you might try leaving all of them that you can in a shaded or filtered area starting just before spring. good luck keep me informed. |
RE: Maples and Leaf Scorch
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| I've grown potted/bonsai maples in full sun as well as under 50% shade cloth. In full sun, I was watering 6 times a day at the height of summer, and under shade cloth only 3-4 times. 
Hot winds and lack of moisture are a bigger threat than full sun for leaf margin burn, and trees growing in the ground would also benefit from windbreaks and extra watering. As maples grow virtually throughout summer, healthy trees which are in bonsai training can be defoliated (leave the petioles) in mid summer - this will induce a new crop of leaves which will also have a more intense coloring (than if the first crop of leaves were left till autumn).. depending on timing, they will also be of a smaller size 
Start tapering off the watering towards the end of summer, keeping the bonsai in a dryish condition pre- autumn (though not allowed to completely dry out) and this will also help to produce the most intense color Jack |
RE: Maples and Leaf Scorch
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| Hi, I live in Los Angeles and have pretty much the same climate Jack. My question is whether and at what point scorched leaves should be removed. Usually the browning starts at the leaf tips and progresses inward until the whole leaf dies. Should I cut them when they first show signs of damage? Or should I cut off the damaged tips? Or just leave them alone? |
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