Andrew G
05-04-2003, 05:34 AM
"shiney" > wrote in message
...
> I have a young Japanese maple (acer palmatum???) I think. It's about 120cm
> tall, and the trunk is only about 1.5 cm thick. As there's quite a lot of
> foliage (in a beautiful shape, too), the thing keeps falling over. I've
> staked it, but have heard Mark Carmody (on the radio) say that staking
only
> weakens trees, and they should develop the strength to stand on their own.
> Any other ideas???
I assume it falls over due to a bit of a breeze?
Many people beleive staking is a bad idea, but really it is essential for
most planted trees that are not grown naturally in the spot. i.e. Naturally
grown trees will have a root system that has developed in the same ground
from when the tree was a sedling. A planted tree from a pot will sometimes
tend to fall over, as the root system isn't well established.
Stake the tree with 3 stakes, place evenly (in a triangle) around the tree.
Tie the tree to the stakes quite loosely. So the tree will still move around
a fair bit, but not fall over. This allows the trunk to still become strong.
Staking the tree so it cannot move at all will make the trunk weak.
> Another, about 90cm, (an Osakazuki variety) remains upright, but its
leaves
> have recently started dying - starting by going brown and papery, then
> droppipng off.)
>
> The very little one (purpurea?) is thriving.
>
> What am I doing wrong? Admittedly, there's a drought on, so they're not
> getting a huge amount of water (perhaps a good deep soaking once a week).
I
> live in Canberra, so they're on quite a clay soil (well mulched/gypsummed
> etc)
Are you having unusually warm weather there, compared to normal. I got a
maple bonsai given to me from the blue mountain area. I live on the cost,
where it gets pretty hot. The first summer it did the same as you mention,
the second summer it became adapted.
I would guess it could be the heat, and possibly lack of water. Check the
soil it is in, just before it's weekly watering. If it is dry, try watering
twice a week.
Other than that, can't really think of what else it could be.
Good luck
>
> Any help greatly appreciated.
>
> shiney
>
>
>
...
> I have a young Japanese maple (acer palmatum???) I think. It's about 120cm
> tall, and the trunk is only about 1.5 cm thick. As there's quite a lot of
> foliage (in a beautiful shape, too), the thing keeps falling over. I've
> staked it, but have heard Mark Carmody (on the radio) say that staking
only
> weakens trees, and they should develop the strength to stand on their own.
> Any other ideas???
I assume it falls over due to a bit of a breeze?
Many people beleive staking is a bad idea, but really it is essential for
most planted trees that are not grown naturally in the spot. i.e. Naturally
grown trees will have a root system that has developed in the same ground
from when the tree was a sedling. A planted tree from a pot will sometimes
tend to fall over, as the root system isn't well established.
Stake the tree with 3 stakes, place evenly (in a triangle) around the tree.
Tie the tree to the stakes quite loosely. So the tree will still move around
a fair bit, but not fall over. This allows the trunk to still become strong.
Staking the tree so it cannot move at all will make the trunk weak.
> Another, about 90cm, (an Osakazuki variety) remains upright, but its
leaves
> have recently started dying - starting by going brown and papery, then
> droppipng off.)
>
> The very little one (purpurea?) is thriving.
>
> What am I doing wrong? Admittedly, there's a drought on, so they're not
> getting a huge amount of water (perhaps a good deep soaking once a week).
I
> live in Canberra, so they're on quite a clay soil (well mulched/gypsummed
> etc)
Are you having unusually warm weather there, compared to normal. I got a
maple bonsai given to me from the blue mountain area. I live on the cost,
where it gets pretty hot. The first summer it did the same as you mention,
the second summer it became adapted.
I would guess it could be the heat, and possibly lack of water. Check the
soil it is in, just before it's weekly watering. If it is dry, try watering
twice a week.
Other than that, can't really think of what else it could be.
Good luck
>
> Any help greatly appreciated.
>
> shiney
>
>
>