"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message
...
On Sun, 08 May 2011 08:40:09 +0100, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Sat, 07 May 2011 22:15:04 +0100, Jake Nospam@invalid wrote:

A couple of years ago, I bought (from T&M) a dwarf, purple leafed acer
to go in a large ceramic pot.The phrase "atropurpureum dissectum"
springs to mind as part of the name. In year 1 I had some decent
purple leaf growth right up the stem. Last year, the lower stem was
bare but there was a good head of purple growth. This year, though, it
looks totally different. I've got a pic at http://tinyurl.com/5r7zt5v.

It's not a graft issue - there are stems/branches of the green leaves
emerging from the remaining main stem both below and above the purple
bit. Any "branches" not bearing green or purple leaf this year were
most certainly dead.

This is a new one for me and I'd be grateful for advice on whether I
should (a) chop out all the green growth and hope that the purple
develops a bit more next year- it's now about three feet above
"ground" rather than just above as it was orignally - or (b) forget
any chance of recovery and get a new one for the container (I'll find
somewhere to plant whatever this tree is rather than simply waste it).

Thanks

Jake

Are you _quite_sure_ it's not grafted? Assuming it's Acer palmatum
atropurpureum dissectum, the RHS handbook says that several varieties
of A. palmatum, particularly A. p. dissectum are often top-grafted.
From your picture it certainly looks like the stock has grown away and
is taking over.

Thanks Chris. My first thought was a grafting issue but as there is
green growth emerging both above and below, and in the middle of, the
purple this seems to me to rule that possibility out. I must admit
when I first received it I was wondering what I'd been sold as there
was a clear grafting point low down on the "trunk" - you can see this
just above the bottom leaves. Below was greeny-brown and the two
stems (as there still are) coming from that point that were then more
a purple colour. On the top of one of those was the expected
"umbrella" framework that should have produced something like Mike's
photos I think but that has never produced anything.

That tree was that shape when we bought it three years ago. A bit smaller,
it 'just' fitted in the front seat well of the car. The family always give
tokens at Christmas and Birthdays and this was my wife's 70th birthday
present from the family, via garden tokens;-)

But as I say, it was that shape. Bit expensive in my eyes, but then I am not
the gardener of over 50 years standing ;-)

Mike



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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
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Initially the normal purple growth emerged copiously from the graft
point up on both the original stems. Then last year the green growth
started to emerge below the graft but also from one of the two
original stems, above purple. It grew away like topsy but did not
overwhelm the purple. This year, the purple has largely died so the
green becomes overwhelming in comparison to what's left.

So I'm at a loss; the only thing I can think of is that there are
actually two grafts but that seems daft.

I'm currently tempted to waste it and get a new one but I wonder
whether it's worth chopping all the green out and seeing what happens
first - it'll look like one silly tree though.

Cheers

Jake