Any ideas whats wrong with this maple?

[potatofarmer]

the bottom looks fine but on the right hand side maybe you can notice the leaves have a yellow tone. and some of those yellowish leaves are pulling right off like it's october and not july.

it's also more spare than the other ones and not growing as vigorous.

all the others seem fine. is it being crowded out by the other plants or something?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Tree looks in decent shape overall, but the top almost looks like it took a hit…. Or did the top get pruned up higher?

Likely the bottom is getting a bit of protection and more moisture from the surrounding plants though.

Best
DSD sends

 

[cheap_walmart_art]

Does it stay in this position all the time? From the leggy growth with long leaf internodes it strikes me that it may not be getting enough light. Definitely seems crowded by the other plants.

 

[potatofarmer]

Tree looks in decent shape overall, but the top almost looks like it took a hit…. Or did the top get pruned up higher?

Likely the bottom is getting a bit of protection and more moisture from the surrounding plants though.

Best
DSD sends

Yes the top did get pruned like a month ago. This one was getting way too tall

Im actually debating on pruning them all more now or is it best to let it grow wild for maximum trunk thickness and prune them down next year.

 

[potatofarmer]

Does it stay in this position all the time? From the leggy growth with long leaf internodes it strikes me that it may not be getting enough light. Definitely seems crowded by the other plants.

Yes its been there for a long time. True it is a very shady spot although the others in the same area dont seem to care. Only this one.

For 5 cents i would throw it in a pot right now buy maybe that would weaken it even more or kill it.

Any ideas? I guess i will get rid of some of the other plants.

 

[potatofarmer]

Actually another one there is also pretty leggy. Probably they do all need more light. Although the others dont have this yellowing and leaf drop problem

 

[Shibui]

Japanese maple struggling surrounded by Hostas doing well?????
Definitely not enough sun.
I can't make out the difference in colour in that pic but yellow leaves can be either lack of N (fertiliser) or light. No way of telling which until you change on or the other.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Not too sure about the too much sun, partly as not sure which cultivar type tree is and knowing PacNW weather. Tree seems fine where it’s at for now. Maybe dig up next year and reposition or box it.

Along the way one must decide, what height and type of tree is desired. Masculine or feminine or something in between. That’s what should be focused on right now. Take some time.

There are basically two schools of thoughts on maples and other broadleaf trees.

Chop and Pop. Keep tree in soil and hard chop, wait for something to pop out to be a new leader. Feed well. Repeat. Dig up each year and chop roots. Later down the line, pull out of ground cut branches off and regrow to create tree, Really good for developing chunky Tridents. (Japanese Maples dig and curate roots every two years.). Creates powerful larger trees

Clip and grow - keep in ground a couple years, let grow to girth up a bit. Dig up, curate roots aka Ebihara style. Put in box. Keep fertilizer values moderated. Use sacrifices to thicken trunk and branches as indicated. Pick up box every month or two and assess, clip and grow to build trunk, building short sections of branches and ramification along the way. Creates more refined trees.

btw Please modify your icon data to indicate which Vancouver (WA or BC) you are in. Makes a big difference to us.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[potatofarmer]

Should i just pot them up now and put somewhere more sunny?

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

It’s a thought… yet it’s small. Best thing is to keep the tree where is presently resides for now, fertilize and water well…. Keep hostas present height bark the base for 6” around.

Then make a plan to pot or box in the spring. Likely would involve choosing/making a proper sized training container, obtaining media, working the roots and some deliberate pruning.

Here’s link to a thread that might help give some ideas.

But your tree, your call.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[potatofarmer]

looks like it's getting ready for a big push. so i guess it's not too bad.

i cut back everything around it more. i'll dig it out next year.

 

[potatofarmer]

I'm just going to post this in here rather than make a new thread.

what is the reason we dont see any jin or deadwood features on JMB?

japanese maples are everywhere here and lots are all kinds of screwed up. dead branches, bark wounds etc etc.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Likely not done so much as the wood rots fairly quickly… but can be a thing if done tastefully.

@Cadillactaste has an excellent example of a maple with deadwood.

Cheers
DSD sends