Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
If you're buying this and others from Graham (I remember your other tree) then he should be helping you with the aftercare. He is a wealth of information and would be most familiar with your environmental conditions.
Sun/shade requirements of Acers
- Thread starter ConorDash
- Start date
SORRY FOR BIG POST. A bit of an opinion and I know a lot of people on here like kaizen and graham so I was careful with my words..
I agree. But I have to be honest, surprisingly so far he hasn't really been very good in that regard. Let me explain..
He is well known, I've watched a lot of his videos and a lot of people on here, like yourself vouch for him, he is a reputable dealer and that's mainly why I trust him and think he is reputable too and why I buy from kaizen at all. I trust the mix that my tree is in, is adequate and its care etc.
But, as I say I must be honest, so far he has been less than informational to me.. I've spoken to him over a few emails and one phone call. I originally enquirer about this tree over email but never got a reply so I called and then on the phone he found my email and spoke to me about it, he was ok on the phone, gave me some info, never particularly friendly but that's no fault of his, people are all different, us Englishman are certainly far from the most cheerful people in the world! So far after that I have emailed twice after that, once asking if he knew the trees rough age and the next time was after I received no reply from that first one (good few weeks), today, asking if they had any additional info like its age or cultivar. I even said in the emails I'm happy if he doesn't have that type of info, but a reply either way is appreciated.. Just so far it's not been particularly great service :/.
I don't expect much from them in the way of aftercare, anything is a bonus. I'm happy to do my own research and gain it all myself through conversations on his forum too, just so far not great from him. Anyways, maybe it's just a busy period for them, maybe he is off sick, no idea but that's my experience so far.
And no my first tree wasn't bought from him, otherwise I would have gotten a much better elm than I did lol, my elm is very much a mallsai and bit crap, but good for beginner and learning.
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Well that's just a crappy way to be treated. He should be much more helpful and available if he wants to maintain a loyal customer base on his home soil. Disappointing..
We'll help you though
We'll help you though
Well that's just a crappy way to be treated. He should be much more helpful and available if he wants to maintain a loyal customer base on his home soil. Disappointing..
We'll help you though
Yeah no problem, as I say, I'm not holding it against him at all... Although maybe I should at this point lol, but I'm pretty patient. If he doesn't reply again, then I'll maybe make a topic on here and get a good guess from you guys about its age, as that's one thing I would really like to know.
I do a lot of research and reading on bonsai but it is amazing the kind of information I get from here. Making this topic today on simple leaf scorch, and I've had so much great info about that and other things from multiple people. That kinda knowledge from people who have decades of collective experience is priceless and miles above the 100s of other websites online.
I read one of Machs topics earlier on his amazing Maple and he mentioned approach grafting. So I looked that up and read about it plus thread grafting.. Some Frankenstein kinda stuff! I didn't know this was remotely possible with plants, it's amazing.
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Thread and approach grafting probably experience the greatest success rate. However, thread grafting is much more tricky with broadleaf evergreens. Both are a great way to great branches or roots where you need them.
Eric Group
Masterpiece
The tree's age is pretty hard to tell unless the person who grew it from seed/ cutting happens to know the age. Otherwise, differing growth rates can lead to dramatically different looking trees even from stock of the same exact age! The real physical age of the tree is also pretty much unimportant when dealing with trees that are not of some famous provenance... IOW- a masterpiece passed down through generations in the royal gardens of Japan? Yeah, the age and back story is important... For the rest of us who have trees we bought as pre bonsai somewhere... They are generally between 5-10 years old or so and the age is completely irrelevant. The ILLUSION of great age is a big part of what we are trying to achieve and that is much more important in Bonsai. How old does it LOOK vs how old it really is! IOW, don't get too hung up in that piece. Probably not a specific interesting cultivar either- if it was, he wou,d have been touting that- and in most cases charging more for it- at the nursery! A better pic could help us tell you for sure.
The leaf issues are very minor on this one. Not a huge concern at all. I only saw one or two leaves that looked truly scorched.. The varicose look and pale color looked to me more like a root issue or nutrient deficiency... Wind is a bigger culprit in leaf scorch than sun in my experience. I keep JM in pretty much full sun consistently here in S.C. Where we have scorching hot summers! Keep them wet and healthy and scorch will be minimal. Heat, and wind mixed with sun and a little drying out of your soil= crispy leaves!
The leaf issues are very minor on this one. Not a huge concern at all. I only saw one or two leaves that looked truly scorched.. The varicose look and pale color looked to me more like a root issue or nutrient deficiency... Wind is a bigger culprit in leaf scorch than sun in my experience. I keep JM in pretty much full sun consistently here in S.C. Where we have scorching hot summers! Keep them wet and healthy and scorch will be minimal. Heat, and wind mixed with sun and a little drying out of your soil= crispy leaves!
Something I'll have to try out when I've some more experience, and one a more practice tree than one I really prize
.Yes I've read that that is basically one of the main, if not the main reason for bonsai, to create the illusion of age and also to give it a style that looks as though it was completely natural, found on the side of an old untouched extreme mountain range, plucked from it and put in a pot. That illusion is what I think we are all trying for, in the end
.Thanks for that info. I would hope nutrient deficiency, because a root issue is much more major! However it was from a good nursery so I would like to think a root issue would be unlikely... Like to think..!
As I said, I've not been fertilising so that could well be the root cause of these problems. Did so yesterday with liquid fertiliser, will again in roughly 2 weeks, maybe just before Autumn I'll start to see an improvement in the colour, and hopefully that'll be the solution to that and a learning experience for me.
If you've any further advice on fertilising, particular type you prefer over others, liquid or pellets and frequency, I'd be interested to know
. Thanks for your advice, it's a great help, really good knowledge to have.LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
THIS is sunburn.....
Heat, a nearly 100 degree day on May 30.....rare...a little dry too.....probably three to four hours in that sun did some damage....
Wind....like Marilyn Monroe blowin' up the skirt winds for a week straight, probably too dry soil as well....more winds than I can remember in awhile...
Heat, a nearly 100 degree day on May 30.....rare...a little dry too.....probably three to four hours in that sun did some damage....
Wind....like Marilyn Monroe blowin' up the skirt winds for a week straight, probably too dry soil as well....more winds than I can remember in awhile...
Timber
Sapling
The leaves on original posters tree don't look sunburned or wind burned. That to me looks clearly from what it's been watered with. Either really poor city water or whatever was added to the water as fertilizer. Water with good water and flush that tree. It should recover fine.
All my acers can be kept in full sun providing the pots can be kept cool and aren't allowed to dry out.
All my acers can be kept in full sun providing the pots can be kept cool and aren't allowed to dry out.
Interesting..
To be honest I didn't think that using normal water from the tap could cause much of a problem however I knew it could obviously cause some issues, depends on condition of the water. Any way, I don't know if it was this topic or another at same time but I said one of my odd quirks is that I've only ever used rainwater on my trees.
Unless the nursery did but they are a good nursery with many trees, it'd surprise me if they had this problem. I've only ever used rainwater, not a single drop of tap water so far
so I can at least say, with some confidence, that it's probably not the city water.It is curious though because you are the 2nd or 3rd poster here to say you leave yours in full sun, so if it wasn't the sun.. I don't really think we have had bad wind recently, so in that case what could it be..
Appreciate your post thank you
Timber
Sapling
Y
Get a cheap ph meter and ppm/tds meter and see what you are watering with.
Did you fertilize or add any kind of something to the water at any time for even one watering?
Interesting..
To be honest I didn't think that using normal water from the tap could cause much of a problem however I knew it could obviously cause some issues, depends on condition of the water. Any way, I don't know if it was this topic or another at same time but I said one of my odd quirks is that I've only ever used rainwater on my trees.
Unless the nursery did but they are a good nursery with many trees, it'd surprise me if they had this problem. I've only ever used rainwater, not a single drop of tap water so far
It is curious though because you are the 2nd or 3rd poster here to say you leave yours in full sun, so if it wasn't the sun.. I don't really think we have had bad wind recently, so in that case what could it be..
Appreciate your post thank you
Get a cheap ph meter and ppm/tds meter and see what you are watering with.
Did you fertilize or add any kind of something to the water at any time for even one watering?
Timber
Sapling
I've seen leaves look very similar with too much superthrive or other additives while the tree is pushing its current growth
Fair enough reasoning. It has had a lack of fertiliser, yesterday I used some liquid fertiliser mixed in with water, using the strength directed on the bottle. Used the same on my elm for a good number of months. Chrysal plant food, 4-6-6. But this was all after the leaves took on that condition.
Aside from that, if anything it's been under watered and all water used is collected in clean buckets, then poured in to bottles to store (sieved).
At the moment it seems very minor so I'll be more alarmed if it continues and spreads, and now giving it partial shade too.
Curious case though. Appreciate your help.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Hah....rainwater....that's what you have been using..timber might have missed that part. Tap water is fine, c'mon....don't worry about ph. Feed this thing and you'll be fine....
BethF
Mame
Wow, Eric, how do you do manage to keep them from frying in the midlands S.C. sun? We're, what, 15 miles or so from each other? Mine have completely fried from one morning in the full sun! And, yes, they are watered daily. Maybe a different soil mix?
Hah....rainwater....that's what you have been using..timber might have missed that part. Tap water is fine, c'mon....don't worry about ph. Feed this thing and you'll be fine....
Yeah at the moment I'm not too concerned, as its only in a small few areas. If it spreads and continues, with me watering it more, fertilising every other week and in partial shade, then I'll be worried in a month or so.
Nothing but the best healthy water for my boys! Lol.
Do you think it's worth pruning those leaves in bad condition? Or just leave them and they will fall off near the end of the year anyway.
LanceMac10
Imperial Masterpiece
Just leave them be....
Just leave them be....
Sure. This topic has slightly concerned me that my leaves aren't as green as they really should be.. But as mentioned before, it could just be the cultivar of it, doesn't go very green. Maybe after a month or so of the fertiliser kicking it, it will give it more colour anyway.
Eric Group
Masterpiece
I had leaf scorch on some leaves in the past, and switching soils seems to have coincided with better leaves. I switched to Akadama/ pumice/lava a couple years ago with the ones in Bonsai pots and they hold up really well! But I have many in potting soil, cuttings transplanted to a few other mixes I am working with this year- pumice and pine bark straigh Akadama... Been experimenting to find an easy mix to transplant cuttings into... Overall though, I think it is water (a big part of it), and my yard has decent protection from wind usually- fence on two sides, house on another... On really windy days, a swirling breeze is still consistent where most of them sit (can't stop air from moving if you a re outside, but you can slow it down and diffuse it a bit!) but it seems to shelter them From the consistent unhindered wind which can dry out and damage leaves in a hurry on Maples! ESPECIALLY on such hot days! The ones in the ground are in full sun and wholly unprotected from wind though and they are fine also... By the Fall, I will probably have some scorched leaves if I don't leaf prune, but right now, all is fine.
I do get deformed new growth leaves on some/ many JM once it gets this hot. I have heard this blamed on everything from fungus to too much N in my ferts... But I think it just the damn heat! JM just don't like really hot weather and I think they send out kind of scrubby deformed growth- if they grow at all- in the full heat of summer. Seems to happen with the late Spring/ early Summer growth. By mid-summer they almost go dormant, and the late summer/ Fall "second flush" of growth seems to come out fine usually...
I have had issues with a few Tridents I cannot seem to figure out this year. Leaves looking scorched on some and a few with bunched up, curled up leaves on new growth tips, with a black residue around the new shoots... It ain't pretty! The old leaves are fine though! I dosed them up with some Bayer, removed the ugly growth (sterilized the Hell out of the shears after pruning) and I am waiting to see if they come out with better looking new growth. Most of my Tridents are fine, but 2-3 of them are showing this little issue... I am going over to Ken's tomorrow for a bit, I am going to ask him if he knows what it might be... (No- before someone asks me- I am not taking the sickly ones with me, that would not be nice to take a sick tree someone else's garden LOL)
dirk hoorelbeke
Omono
We do almost have the same climate i guess. Dark and raining one day and too hot the other. It is unlikely to have issues when more constant weather, even in full sun. For now i keep them in full sun with minimal damage, but they stop growing in the few weeks it is to warm. I'll try this year iff it's better under shade. My teacher says for maples 70% is good. Watering or spraying the foliage is not a problem IF your roots are providing moisture. So when the tree is dry, water the soil first and wait 10 minutes, then do the foliage, they love it. When providing full shade, make sure they are protected between 12 and 16h.
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