Japanese Maple

[Spartan]

I just recently bought a Japanese Maple.
A&A had nice ones for around $200-300, and Lowes had them for around $60-100 with a guarantee.
I followed the directions, dug the hole, added extra potting soil and a small amount of fertilizer.
Watered as instructed.
I think its dead, or it is at least dying.
Any tips?
Suggestions?
What if I spray it with miracle grow?

 

[SPST]

Pictures? You can do too much water. Also, the best time to plant any shrubs or trees is in the fall. The summertime heat is tough on new plantings.

 

[REELDOC]

Bad time to plant trees and bushes. It might have just gone dormant due to shock. Do the knuckle test for water.

 

[Frack N Cylons]

It should qualify for warranty if you want a refund.

 

[Carolinatlc]

Probably went dormant from shock. I planted one 8 or so years ago and it did the same. Beautiful tree now.

 

[J R Green]

You shouldn't add fertilizer until the second season. The nitrogen can burn those tender exposed roots that are trying to get established.
So, no, don't add more.

 

[OldNascar]

Used to drop a couple of Alka Setzer tablets at planting to soften the shock to the roots.

 

[Jerzsubbie]

Interested in seeing pics and hearing what you might have done wrong because I think I’m going to be replacing a weeping cherry this fall and Japanese maple is on the list of possibilities.

 

[Spartan]

 

[Windini]

If it's any consolation, I planted 2 persimmons around ... uh ... 2008? '09? Anyway, I promptly weedwhacked one the following summer.

But the second one stayed up!

 

[BlackGun]

I wouldn’t ever add fertilizer to the soil when planting. If its Lowes take it back and find a nursery where its been in the pot for a long time. Miracle Gro is fine in a couple weeks to the top. My nursery has always said planting anytime is ok if you keep some water to it. You would have been fine if the fertilizer had single digit nitrogen. Lowes plants have not been raised normal day to day conditions. I have never had good luck with their plants.

 

[Dale Gribble]

View attachment 351988View attachment 351989View attachment 351990

You’re good…

It ain’t dead…just the heat.

I’ve got one in my front yard…bout 10 years old.

Some of the leaves on it look exactly like those. Get some pavers or flexible plastic landscape border. Build a 2.5’-3’diameter base at the bottom of the tree. Put a 4” layer of mulch in.

 

[Miss Lily]

I have had best luck buying from local growers (nurseries, farmers market). Plants were extablished and raised in local conditions.

Also, as said above, trees and shrubs are best planted in autumn.

 

[fieldgrade]

I’ve grown Jap Maples from seedlings. If it dies the leaves will turn completely gray brown. Expect it to be stressed this summer from the shock of planting and the heat. Too little water is bad, but so is too much.

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

We planted one a couple years ago. Jap beetles ate every single leaf off of it, then the summer was brutal on it.
I can't get a 100' hose to water it, so I drilled a ~1/8" hole in the bottom along the edge of a 5 gallon bucket. Fill the bucket and it'll slowly soak the soil. Doing that once a week brought it back nicely.

 

[LeeMajors]

I just recently bought a Japanese Maple.
A&A had nice ones for around $200-300, and Lowes had them for around $60-100 with a guarantee.
I followed the directions, dug the hole, added extra potting soil and a small amount of fertilizer.
Watered as instructed.
I think its dead, or it is at least dying.
Any tips?
Suggestions?
What if I spray it with miracle grow?

Holy crap $100. Id have dug one of the volunteers up here for $ 0.00. That's insane.

 

[Get Off My Lawn]

Holy crap $100. Id have dug one of the volunteers up here for $ 0.00. That's insane.

You now need to run a BTS ad, "Japanese Maple for 1K CCI primers".

 

[MacEntyre]

According to that picture, it ain't daid yet... don' give up hope! Give it some water, no fertilizer.

 

[Spartan]

I watered it with a sprinkler for 30 min last night.

 

[fishgutzy]

Ours seemed to croak. Came back in the Spring. Grew very nicely.
There are pretty robust. Had one in MA and a few in NC. Leaves look like red Pot. 😃

 

[MacEntyre]

How did they smoke?

 

[SPST]

I watered it with a sprinkler for 30 min last night.

Don't water it from overhead. Lay a hose at the base to water it.

 

[johnnyb]

I watered it with a sprinkler for 30 min last night.

Some plants it’s better to water in the am/day, if you water them at night the combination food/water source attracts insects that will eat the leaves. Just a heads up.

Also the above post about ground watering is a good hint, I’ve “saved” several summer plantings with using the 5 gal bucket trick posted earlier in the thread. Small hole drilled in the bottom or bottom of the side of the bucket, sit next to the trunk full of water, over the next several hours it trickles into the roots!

 

[Jp8819]

Another trick that works well other than the bucket is leave a piece of small dia pipe (1-3” or pvc coming up out from where the roots are at angle or just below the roots then you can poor water down it and it goes to where the roots are instead of it running off, Once tree is established just pull pipe out of ground. Makes watering much faster just have to be mindful not to over water.