At 01:21 AM 5/3/03 -0400, lou E wrote:
different problem
i have 2 green japanese maple that are jsut now coming out. one of them
was the earliest to break a bud in february. Is this normal? I think the
hot spell in january tricked them the cold sent them back to sleep.
any ideas?
This happens a lot with Acer palmatum. They want to bud out with the first
warm spell in late winter, usually setting themselves up for a late freeze
and total defoliation. This is the first winter in the last four that mine
haven't been devastated.
Keep them from freezing, the arrested growth will start again when it warms
up. Treat them normally. Don't over water.
2. i bought supposedly 2 red japanese maples one is going on 2 years in
my posssesion the other over 5 neither are red. the older one has in the
past as it i now become blotchy, not deep green im hoping they will turn
red. they are getting about 5 hours sun. any suggestions?
Red Japanese maple, Acer palmatum var atropurpureum has red new growth
only. As the leaves harden, they begin to turn green or a bronze green,
sometimes dark purple green. Leaves in more shade are greener, leaves in
sun are darker. Direct sunlight is necessary for good red color, BUT A.p.
var atro. is also much more susceptible to leaf burn, hot wind, etc, so it
is nearly impossible to give them enough sunlight to keep them red for very
long. The only place that I have seen that allows them maximum sunlight and
thus long lasting red color is just above the fog belt along the ocean on
the West Coast in N. CA. If you want more lasting red color, get a
cultivar. It is hard to beat 'Bloodgood' for long lasting red color, but
even it is mostly green by mid summer.
Brent in Northern California
Evergreen Gardenworks USDA Zone 8 Sunset Zone 14
http://www.EvergreenGardenworks.com
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