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23-02-2006, 12:28 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

On 23/2/06 10:36, in article , "Emery
Davis" wrote:

On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 10:07:51 +0000
Janet Tweedy wrote:

In article , Sacha
writes

Whoa! Please tell me that the Japanese Maple is not going to go in a spot
that is windy? They're incredibly fussy about that and about being wet at
the root, too. Cold winds, in particular, are very bad news for them.
These are not easy plants, beautiful though they are indeed.

I've lost three to wind burn and also to too much sun! They are
temperamental in the extreme as I know someone who has one growing at
the end of the front garden on a slope in full sun and wind and that
one's fine. Maybe some species aren't so vulnerable?

Hello Janet,

I'm don't doubt Sacha is far more experienced with these, being in
the business, but since she may have missed your post I thought I'd
jump in.

My husband is the one with the real experience. I just married him six years
ago. ;-) But yes, I did see Janet's post but didn't think I had anything to
add to it. There are bound to be cultivars that are less 'fussy', though I
don't know which they are, myself. All I do know is that if we get any
Japanese maples brought back, it is always because of too much wind burn and
over-watering. But *always*. We've had one or two customers who absolutely
swear they haven't over watered, so Ray lifts the poor thing out of the pot
and it is dripping water all over his feet!

Of the hundreds of cultivars of A. palmatum there are many that
are tougher than others. Until established they are all difficult,
though, and your experience of losing 3 is by no means unique.

In general the green, unvariegated varieties (not yellowish) do
fine in full sun. There is very often a cultivar that will be more
amenable to sun and a little tougher, or smaller or whatever.
An example is using 'Eddisbury' instead of 'Sango Kaku'.

We have Sango Kaku on a corner near the fishpond and while it's a sunny
spot, its also windy at times. The tree is now about 5' tall and has taken
a little damage from the wind but nothing enormous and has come back quite
happily. I had one against a wall in my Jersey garden which had bright red
stems in winter and the brightest possible golden leaves in autumn. I never
did find out its name but Ray thinks it was Sango Kaku. I am not at all
sure of that, myself. To my memory, it was brighter in all its parts than
that.

Typically the dark green leaved varieties burn less than the red,
but there are red ones that do fine in sun (and a some wind),
like Bloodgood or Chitose Yama (english or european/japanese
version).

Constant maritime wind is impossible for them, so
in very coastal areas shelter is not an option.

I grow mine in more or less exposed positions, depending on
cultivar. I live on a hill crest and it is very windy at times,
but the seem to do well enough. One thing I've found is that
they take better if the size is at least 60-80 cm. Very
small I pot up for a couple of years.

The bible of the species is "Japanese Maples" by J.D. Vertrees
updated by Peter Gregory. It's a very good reference and
well worth having. There is an appendix in the back that
lists -- by cultivar -- final size, time of interest, light requirements,
etc.

This is obviously something you know a great deal about and I wonder if you
could take the time to list the cultivars that you grow in the windy areas.
I think that would be very helpful to have in the archives because it's
remarkable how often questions about these lovely trees arise.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
)