Newly planted japanese maple leaves wilting and changing colors

11 years ago

I bought and planted a "Bloodgood" Japanese Maple this Saturday (5/5/12) and it has been going downhill ever since. When we brought it home, it was it's appearance was excellent. Now it's leaves are wilting, drying up, and turning colors.

We live in Redmond, Oregon. Our altitude is 3,000ft, and this past week we've had lows into the mid 20's and highs in the 70's. We planted the tree in a hole equal in depth to the root ball and 2-3 times the root ball width. The ground in which is resides is quite hard, however I replaced the dirt I excavated for the tree with good loamy soil. We give the tree one gallon of water per day mixed with B1, and then water it approximately two more gallons daily.

I've done a fair amount of research looking for Japanese Maples with similar symptoms and most say it's a result of over/under watering (with no indication of which is is), or a fungus. Nobody typically suggests measurable quantities of water, so I don't know if I'm going hog wild or not. I don't suspect it's a fungus, only because it was fine at the store. Also, it was exposed to direct sunlight all day long in the HD parking lot, so the sunlight isn't suspect in my opinion. Also, none (or extremely few) post photos. I hope I've given sufficient information. Please let me know what the experts suggest.

Thanks!

Grant

Comments (4)

alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
Whats with the b1 everyday? Your tree was balled and burlapped? Looks like it still is??? The temperature swings were out of your control and hopefully have leveled out. They didnt help much.
gsuty17
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the response alley_cat. The burlap remaining is only a short (12") piece left on from when we planted it. It stops a few (6") from the ground. I'll remove it, I forgot. I don't know about the B1? More is better right? Ok, I'll give the B1 a rest.
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alley_cat_gw_7b
11 years ago
Gsuty, Some of the trouble was the temp swings and maybe some transplant shock. But i would get rid of the thiamine and give it no more. Then my next thought would be to water the tree very deeply...then stop for a while until i was sure it needed watering again and not before. The other problem is you may have created a bowl effect by the way you described your planting technique and the ground being so hard. Something like a bath tub without decent drainage. And hopefully there was no fert. in the product you amended with. lol Too much love. Hopefully its just cosmetic and your tree comes around for you. respectfully...AL
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
Looks like transplant shock to me. Was the tree exposed when you transported it home? That can cause a lot of stress and foliar damage. Regardless, it will eventually perk back up once it's had time to settle in and get sufficient water.

I would not be too precise about the watering......as often as needed (you will have to test the soil physically)...but applied slowly and deeply. Do not let the soil surrounding the tree dry out but neither keep it overly saturated. Measuring in gallons is not going to cut it :-)

And skip the B1 - that's pretty much considered snake oil and is not necessary to assist in establishment.

Here is a link that might be useful: the myth of B1