Sacha wrote:

Is there any reason to think you're going to lose it? We sometimes get
older shrubs or trees growing through their pots and usually they just stay
put quite happily. Some grow right through the Mypex and into the earth
beneath the glasshouses!

Marvelous stuff! I think it looks happy. There's plenty of room for it
to stretch its roots, just some few under planting of spring flowers
and ground ivy. I think I'll just leave it like it is. Thanks Sacha.

anyone off advice on looking after a potted Acer Palatum.

First off - if you don't have to, don't grow it in a pot. They are not
easy to manage in pots though I can see why folks like to have 'em in
pots. If you can find a place to plant it with a bit of shelter and
some nice well drained acid soil with lots of humus it will be much
happier.

Well, mainly in a pot because this is a rented house and I really dont
want to get a tree established only to have to move it when we do - and
since we are going to be here for a few years it wouldnt be fair.

If this was our own house I would have put it in the ground

Mark

"keith ;-)" wrote in message
...

"Sacha" wrote in message
.uk...
On 22/10/05 12:12, in article ,
"Mark Thomas" wrote:


If you've moved it to a more sheltered spot, you've give it a good
chance.
There are two things they absolutely loathe, being in wind and too
much
water........ Perhaps you should start reducing the water you are
giving
it so that it reaches almost drying out point and do make sure that
it
is
draining well after each watering, whether by you or by nature.
Raise
the
pot a little off the ground so that water can drain out of holes in
the
bottom.

Thanks for the reply!

I think when we potted it we haven't given it enough drainage.

If we were to remove the tree from the pot and refill with a more free
draining mix would this damage the tree, i.e. shock it too much?

I went and checked this with Ray who *is* the expert. ;-) He says
please
leave it until spring to re-pot it and then put it in something like
John
Innes No. 3. He doesn't see any need to feed it. He stresses that you
should let it dry out now and leave watering to nature, allowing drain
holes
to do their work and keeping it sheltered from wind.
snip
But he is adamant that you should wait until spring to re-pot it and
most
especially if you're going to put it into a larger pot.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

I dont agree wait til spring in this case,as it sounds like the acer is
already overpotted with little drainage.A cold wet winter for a acer in a
pot with poor drainage will certainly most likely kill it! Remember Sacha
this is a rescue job!!
If it is a general repot to a larger pot then yes i would wait til spring
when the plant is just starting growth.So it will start to take in the
moisture in the compost instead of sitting in it.
Cheers Keith

Mark,Your best bet is to lift the tree from the pot and see if the rootball
comes out whole( ,if it does put loads more drainage holes in the pot and
keep the pot off the ground.Keep the tree in the same pot.Then repot spring
as earlier post.This assuming the acer HASNT been overpotted,if it has and
you lift the acer from the pot and the pot is still full of compost ,leaving
it in this you risk killing the plant.You now have enough information to
decide what is best for your acer & if you have done anything wrong when you
first potted it up ,i am sure you will do the right thing.
Cheers Keith