Hi melanie9-- Good to know someone else in Colorado is growing these!

Watering is so tricky here because it is so dry. But yours is in a pot, so it should not be too difficult to assess moisture. I have 3 in pots and I have been watering 3-4 times per week. I don't know how often you are watering, but if it is everyday, that could be a problem.

I have found the wind to be much more of a problem though. Is yours in the wind at all?

The other possibility is simply transplant shock. Can you post photos?
Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the response! Which cultivars do you have, and where did you purchase them? I was in Napa/Sonoma last month and swung by Wildwood Farms and bought the JMs there. They have an internet site (through which they do most of their sales), but their nursery was AMAZING!!! If you're ever in the area, you should definitely stop by. They had hundreds of cultivars, and the owners are extremely knowledgable and helpful. I LOVE the JM's, but there don't seem to be many good places to purchase them here in town.

I was told to water them well, and maybe I took that too seriously. I had been watering them every day, although I have cut back in the past week. Maybe I should try every other day? Mine is in the wind a bit, but not too badly. The woman at Wildwood Farms said that once I plant the Orangeola in the ground, she recommends staking the tree itself and also putting some additional stakes around the tree so that I can cover the tree with burlap when it gets too windy and/or cold. She did say that the wind is more of a problem than the snow.

I can post photos, but it may not be until the weekend. I'm up in the mountains now. I hope my trees are doing well without me! Thanks again for your response!

Melanie

I now have 7 Japanese Maples, 3 in pots, and 4 in the ground. These are the cultivars I'm growing:
--Bloodgood
--Emperor 1
--Seiryu
--Butterfly
--Orangeola
--Inaba Shidare
--Sango Kaku

I'm happy to report that my bloodgood is putting on all kinds of new growth and seems to be adjusting after an early summer windy week that turned its leaves brown. Also, I'm growing my Orangeola, Butterfly and Seiryu in full sun and they are also all putting on new growth.

I think the wind is responsible for your crispy edges, and maybe a little transplant shock as well. I've found that the more you can protect these when you first plant them, the better they do.

I have purchased my trees mostly at nurseries here in Fort Collins (they all have them), 1 at Home Depot, and 1 at Lowes (just can't beat the prices sometimes...)

Good luck,
Tom

Hi. I'm in Austin, TX and grow maples. They have plenty of shade for the heat and I haven't had any problems with the exception of my small orangeola. It's in a 6-8" pot, it's small, and its leaves are also kind of crispy and dry looking. We do have some wind here, although not too bad. Should I have it in more sun? Could the leaves respond this way due to overwatering?

It's difficult to say, but the symptoms of overwatering and underwatering are very much the same. So, as a rule, the soil should always be moist, but no standing water -- consistency is the key. So if you are watering everyday, that, I think is too much, but it all depends on your soil.

When we had 24 days over 90 degrees I watered every night, but now, I water 2 times per week, maybe 3 if it is dry.

The wind will also dessicate the leaves, so wind protection is very important. Also, water at night, or early in the morning, as leaves can scorch if you water in the heat of the day.

Otherwise, these trees need a transplant adjustment period in my experience and some leaf tip browning is normal. Pictures would be helpful too...
Tom