On Fri, 2 Jun 2006 10:27:38 +0100, Antonia wrote
(in article ):


Hi everyone,

I'm new here and very new to gardening too!

Please could someone advise me? I have an Acer Palmatum tree in a large
stone tub on my patio, and it's not looking very happy - its leaves are
all soft and floppy, and are just hanging limply from the branches. I'm
keeping it well-watered, so I don't know what else could be causing
this.

That's your problem. You're almost certainly over-watering it and not
letting it drain thoroughly or start to dry out between waterings. Acers
absolutely hate have their feet wet all the time.

Should I plant the acer in the ground rather than keeping it in a tub?

It will be fine in a tub, as long as it's not over-potted i.e. the pot is too
big for it, so it's getting too much water over and on top of its other
problem!

The patio faces east and gets full sun from about 7am until 3 or 4pm -
should I move the acer so it has more shade? (Nb the leaves aren't
scorched). Do I need to feed it anything special?


No, don't feed it. Just leave it alone! As long as it's not in the path of
cold winds it should be fine. The finer the leaf, the more wind is a problem
for them but none of them like it.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
email address on web site