Hi
My Acer is starting to look very wind burnt and I don't have a sheltered spot to keep it in. I know they are hardy and don't get too badly damaged by frost but the winds get very blowy and nippy where I live. Is it OK to winter it indoors until the spring?

Thanks
Kate

Mab wrote:
Hi
My Acer is starting to look very wind burnt and I don't have a
sheltered spot to keep it in. I know they are hardy and don't get
too
badly damaged by frost but the winds get very blowy and nippy where
I
live. Is it OK to winter it indoors until the spring?

I wouldn't want it to get warm enough to think it was spring already.
They don't like exposure at any time of the year, but I'd leave it
outside, preferably protecting the roots from frost: you can wrap the
pot up in bubble-wrap or closed-cell foam. And you can stand it on a
couple of bricks, or use pot feet: I expect you've got a good layer
of drainage material in the bottom of the pot, but this won't work so
well if the pot's directly on the ground.

--
Mike.

Thanks Mike

I didn't explain to well earlier, we have lazy winds (go through you rather than round you during the winter blowing in off the north sea and up the estuary which we don't have the rest of the year)
I'll go out and get some garden fleece and get it stood up on something.

Just out of interest what would happen if it did think it was spring? would the growing season extend or would it just die?

Many Thanks
Kate

Mab wrote:
Thanks Mike

[...]
I'll go out and get some garden fleece and get it stood up on
something.

I'd probably use bubble wrap.

Just out of interest what would happen if it did think it was
spring?
would the growing season extend or would it just die?

What I was afraid of was the tree putting out new shoots too early;
these would then try to develop, but the light conditions indoors
wouldn't be right, so they'd be stunted, and, yes, they might die
off. I don't think the tree itself would die there and then, but when
it got outside again it might never catch up in that particular year.
Somebody with more knowledge of the species may be able to tell you
if that would weaken the tree so much that you'd lose it the
following spring: I don't know.

On the other hand, when buds started opening too early, you could put
it outside again to give it enough light; this would then expose the
young growth to the weather, and you'd have the same problem!

(By the way, if you're using Google Groups, there's a good trick for
replying to newsgroups. Instead of using the obvious "Reply" button,
you can click "Show Options"; you then click the "Reply" link at the
bottom left of the Options panel. You can then choose how much or how
little you want to display of the message you're replying to. Why on
earth Ggl have it set up this crazy way, nobody knows.)

--
Mike.

Thanks Mike

It's times like this I wish I had room for a greenhouse, but tiny city gardens just don't allow for that.
I will go and have a look at the groups you suggested.

Kate

The message
from Mab contains these words:


Hi
My Acer is starting to look very wind burnt and I don't have a
sheltered spot to keep it in. I know they are hardy and don't get too
badly damaged by frost but the winds get very blowy and nippy where I
live. Is it OK to winter it indoors until the spring?

Thanks
Kate


--
Mab

Consider where it comes from. Ever seen film of the monkeys in Japan
bathing in hot springs in the middle of winter? Trust me, leave it
outdoors.

Hi,
I agree, I have a small japanese maple outside and last year it was covered in a snow drift for a couple of months and yet it has done really well this year. The temperature here goes down to about -20c.

Darren

It's more the wind I am concerned about, rather than the cold. It's already got significant wind burn.

"Mab" wrote in message
...

It's more the wind I am concerned about, rather than the cold. It's
already got significant wind burn.


--
Mab
Cant you move the pot/plant to a more sheltered spot close to the wall of
your house. This should give it the cover it requires, you should give it
the right sheltered conditions all year round not just winter.Like you have
said it is the sun/wind that does the damage.Try and find a spot with
dappled shade.My Acer is on a south facing deck,but has cover from a large
photinia red robin.
Cheers Keith

Mab wrote:
It's more the wind I am concerned about, rather than the cold. It's
already got significant wind burn.

I have my acer palmatum outside in a large terracotta pot here in N.
Wales (and prior to that in S.Bucks). It has survived the last three
winters.

My tree has presently got windburn, it didn't get quite enough water
this year.

I'm not worrying about it, the tree will shed its leaves soon, and grow
a new set in spring.

To keep your tree happy, wrap the pot in bubble wrap, raise it up
slightly to ensure good drainage. Put it in a wind sheltered spot if
possible - if not, perhaps try a windbreak on the windiest side for
extra protection. The trouble with attempting to protectthe whole tree
is perhaps causing moulds, and reducing the chances of rain watering.

HTH

Sarah

In article , Sarah Dale
writes

My tree has presently got windburn, it didn't get quite enough water
this year.

Which begs the question... How much water is enough water for an Acer in
a pot? And can it actually have too much - assuming the pot is well
drained?

My small potted Acer glade is looking a bit ragged this year. This was
because I was trying to water them with rainwater - as I thought they
needed (or were, at least, best suited) to an ericaceous compost - but I
was corrected on this necessity a month or so ago. However, the watering
follow-up question wasn't answered.

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK

Flower Bobdew wrote:
In article , Sarah Dale
writes

My tree has presently got windburn, it didn't get quite enough water
this year.

Which begs the question... How much water is enough water for an Acer
in a pot? And can it actually have too much - assuming the pot is well
drained?

My small potted Acer glade is looking a bit ragged this year. This was
because I was trying to water them with rainwater - as I thought they
needed (or were, at least, best suited) to an ericaceous compost -
but I was corrected on this necessity a month or so ago. However, the
watering follow-up question wasn't answered.

my experience is that in a saucer they get upset about having wet feet, but
with a free draining compst cope happily with reaular autimatic watering in
addition to rain, no saucer & off the ground on pot feet

pk

Well now I am confused. I thought Acers liked slightly acid soil so I'd been feeding with ericaceous feed. If they don't like that what do they like? and how much water is too much water because mine's been outside all summer in the dreadful rain so maybe that was too much?

Flower Bobdew wrote:
Which begs the question... How much water is enough water for an Acer in
a pot? And can it actually have too much - assuming the pot is well
drained?

A very hard question to answer because its going to depend on the size
of the tree, the size and type of pot, location, natural precipitation
and erm...... lots of things!

For my tree, now 6 - 7 years old and about 2 - 3 ft tall in a 18" dia.
pot, living in a windy garden, I normally aim to give it one whole
watering can of water at least twice a week in summer, unless its been
raining a lot.

It gets watered at the same time as my other pots on the patio that are
filled with summer annuals, and the tree also gets a feed at the same
time these pots do.

YMMV!

Sarah

Sarah Dale writes

Flower Bobdew wrote:
Which begs the question... How much water is enough water for an Acer
in a pot? And can it actually have too much - assuming the pot is
well drained?

A very hard question to answer because its going to depend on the size
of the tree, the size and type of pot, location, natural precipitation
and erm...... lots of things!

True! D'uh. % } I meant *my* pots, over there. {Points}

For my tree, now 6 - 7 years old and about 2 - 3 ft tall in a 18" dia.
pot, living in a windy garden, I normally aim to give it one whole
watering can of water at least twice a week in summer, unless its been
raining a lot.

It gets watered at the same time as my other pots on the patio that are
filled with summer annuals, and the tree also gets a feed at the same
time these pots do.

YMMV!

I suppose a better way of putting it may've been - particularly during
the summer months - can you *over water* Acer's in well
maintained/drained pots.

--
Flower Bobdew
South Facing Garden
South West: UK