Just found this sight as I was looking for some advise on a Tamukeyama Maple. I planted it 12 years ago and it did well for many years but lately, 2-3 years, it seems to be failing.
Each spring there are more small dead branches on the outer fringes and there does not seem to be any vigorous growth. The color fades early and it appears to be getting thinner each year.
It is planted on the south side of our house. I erected a burlap fence around it for many winters and now have a lattice screen on two sides all year to give a little more shade. Now I wrap the lattice with visqueen to provide even more shelter during the winter.
It gets fertilized in the spring with a balanced fertilizer for acid loving plants. I mulch heavily with leaves in the fall.
This year I cut back the vinca minor that has surrounded it and mulched out to the tree line with sphaghum to promote aciditiy. I thought maybe the vinca was robbing nutrients and I know that our soil is alkaline.
My thinking is that I need a soil test to see if the soil is properly balanced and/ or the problem could be that the roots cannot make the transition from the imported top soil in this bed to the clay native soil. I have seen this problem with some dogwood shrubs that are in a backyard bed, but all plantings have been done in mixes of native soil, top soil and amendments.
I would appreciate any ideas as to what is wrong and what to do to bring it back, if possible. From what I have seen on the net this is a long lived variety and should be thriving.
What is especially galling is that my next door neighbor has a magnificent Japanese Dissectum planted also on the south side and he has done absolutely nothing to it yet it has grown beautifully from the start!
Oh, yes, we are in Southeastern Michigan about 20 miles northwest of Detroit. There are many great looking Acer.Palmentum growing in this region so I know something is wrong here.
Thank you for any advise.
Each spring there are more small dead branches on the outer fringes and there does not seem to be any vigorous growth. The color fades early and it appears to be getting thinner each year.
It is planted on the south side of our house. I erected a burlap fence around it for many winters and now have a lattice screen on two sides all year to give a little more shade. Now I wrap the lattice with visqueen to provide even more shelter during the winter.
It gets fertilized in the spring with a balanced fertilizer for acid loving plants. I mulch heavily with leaves in the fall.
This year I cut back the vinca minor that has surrounded it and mulched out to the tree line with sphaghum to promote aciditiy. I thought maybe the vinca was robbing nutrients and I know that our soil is alkaline.
My thinking is that I need a soil test to see if the soil is properly balanced and/ or the problem could be that the roots cannot make the transition from the imported top soil in this bed to the clay native soil. I have seen this problem with some dogwood shrubs that are in a backyard bed, but all plantings have been done in mixes of native soil, top soil and amendments.
I would appreciate any ideas as to what is wrong and what to do to bring it back, if possible. From what I have seen on the net this is a long lived variety and should be thriving.
What is especially galling is that my next door neighbor has a magnificent Japanese Dissectum planted also on the south side and he has done absolutely nothing to it yet it has grown beautifully from the start!
Oh, yes, we are in Southeastern Michigan about 20 miles northwest of Detroit. There are many great looking Acer.Palmentum growing in this region so I know something is wrong here.
Thank you for any advise.
