Japanese Maple Assistance

[Jasohughes]

Hi all,

Am hoping someone might be kind enough to either reassure normality, or direct me towards improving the health of a bonsai I have recently been gifted.

I was told this particular plant didn't lose it's leaves, but am starting to think that I may have been mislead.

There is new growth, gets a fair amount of sun, watering about a litre of water a day (until the water runs through the drainage holes) but last two weeks leaves have been dying and dropping at a significant rate - going from green to dead. I expected some colouring into autumn but again my expectations might be incorrect!

Also, I assume plants of these nature need care so hoping someone could direct me please to a good resource to make sure I'm doing everything needed to keep this plant around for another 40 years. Am expecting a fair bit of work but pretty keen to get into growing something new also.

Thanks

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1T29bQ ... 8SLzTxWSng
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T5Xp3A ... sp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SyBDFa ... sp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SpDdTj ... sp=sharing

[juan73870]

Where about's in Australia are you located? I'm pretty sure you're gonna find that the leaves will go away for the winter.
By the way, lucky you to be gifted such a nice tree
I'm going to say it looks pretty normal, just make sure not to give it TOO much water.

[juan73870]

In regards to good resources for caring for the plant - you're in the right place - right here on this forum!
I'd recommend searching for a member on this forum by the name of "shibui" when it comes to anything maples. However there's a bunch of others that will be sure to head you in the right direction

[Jasohughes]

Thanks for your help, I'm in Melbourne. The tree is on a balcony and gets sun maybe half the day. 30+ degree days I've been moving it into the shade.

I am very fortunate, it was passed on from my a family member who unfortunately passed, so it's a great memorium also. Have always wanted a bonsai.

Re watering, i'll poke my finger into the drainage hole and if it feels on the dry side i'll water. It's usually once a day unless it rains.

Appreciate the assistance am quite nervous being such a beginner - i'll hunt out something Shibui related and have a browse, I'm sure i'll find something.

I would really like to start a NZ Native bonsai personally - either a Pohutakawa or a Kowhai plant. Not sure if my ambitions are too big for a starter

Jason

[MJL]

Hey Jason,

Firstly +1 on Shibui and many other very experienced growers on this forum.

Secondly, reader warning, I am not that and I don’t have a horticultural background - I feel it’s important to mention that so that you can take what I say in context and listen to more experienced people.

With those caveats - I do love Japanese maples and grow a few of them, primarily in group plantings.

I note that you are in Melbourne and recently we have had some reasonably warm and windy (warm north winds). These factors and what you have said make me think your tree is reacting to these warm conditions - the shriveled, brown edged leaves are what generally happens to mine if too much hot sun or winds. If that is the case, the damage is mainly aesthetic and new leaves will be fine. Don’t underestimate wind - it can have an awfully drying effect on your trees.

Also, the tree is deciduous and will lose its leaves in Autumn... I find trees even more sensitive to hot weather at this time.

Another factor might be powdery mildew which happens a bit on Japanese maples when tree has wet leaves and not much airflow ... and we have had a humid summer - for Melbourne. That said, it’s hard to tell from the photo but I cant see a lot of evidence of powdery mildew.

Also, don’t be surprised if your tree starts sprout new leaves ... only to drop them as winter sets in.

Autumn colour is wonderful but can be elusive - I believe but may be wrong that cool, crisp mornings can contribute to the autumn colour.

In terms of position - it might be hard on a balcony but mine generally sit under the dappled light of big chinese Elm - good airflow without being in a wind tunnel. That seems to work for me.

If you search Japanese maples on this forum you see a wealth of grey information.

Good luck with your tree.

Finally, I believe you should be able to grow those NZ trees you mentioned. Go for it. I am growing a pohutakawa (I think) and love it - albeit I think it is quite hard to get to flower as a bonsai.


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[shibui]

Hi Jasohughes
That tree is certainly a Japanese maple and they are totally deciduous so you should expect it to lose all its leaves in winter.
It is still a bit early for the leaves to fall. The brown leaves are because the roots have dried out at some stage. It does not take much for a tree this size in a little pot to get dry. On hot days some can get dry by lunchtime but there are strategies to cope with that. Watering once day should be enough now but during warmer months I water each morning and again in the evening to keep them hydrated. watering every day means just that instead of just every day that you are home or remember. A couple of days without water at this time of year could kill the tree. A single day without water in summer would probably finish it. Watering is paramount for bonsai and you must water according to the needs of the tree, taking into account weather, location and time of year. Watering by a preset schedule can be fatal for your tree. Check every day and water accordingly.
If you are getting burnt leaves either the tree is not getting enough water or it needs to have less sun.
Japanese maples like some sun but not too much hot afternoon sun. The leaves may have burnt because it was moved from a shadier spot into more sunnier place. Leaves are like our skin. When suddenly exposed to lots more sun they burn but if they open out in the sun they tend to be more resistant and will cope better.
Bonsai that have not been repotted for a few years also tend to dry out quicker than those that have been done more recently. Root bound pots are so full of roots that there is no space left for water so you just cannot get enough water into the pot to last all day. I can't tell when that one was last repotted but it would probably be worth doing it next spring to be safe.

Bonsai also need to be fed. Regular watering leaches all nutrients out of the pot so we must keep adding more. Any plant fertiliser is OK for bonsai. Just apply as directed on the pack. Bonsai are little trees, not babies so no need for reduced concentrations or less often. I try to feed my trees every 2-3 weeks while they have leaves. no point wasting fert when there are no leaves in winter.

I think I can see some old wire on a lower branch. The branch has grown around the wires which looks terrible. If possible take the wires off the tree. Wires are only there to change the shape and should be taken off after a couple of months when the branches have set in place. If that wire is too far into the bark to remove safely you may just have to leave it there and accept the scars. If there is more wire on the tree get as much off as you can without doing too much damage to the bark.

Pohutakawa is a good tough NZ native tree to start out with. Kowhai will be more of a challenge I think but there are other NZ natives that can be used for bonsai.

Please try to upload pictures direct to Ausbonsai if possible. It is so much easier to view if they are embedded in the thread. There is a file size limit - I think 1Mb now so you may have to compress larger files. Best not to reduce the physical size because we still need to check detail in pictures.