Japanese Maple

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Wolfking42084

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We had a late frost here in Western North Carolina. It left our Japanese Maples with almost total damage. Now that warm temperatures are constant, some new growth is coming back on the lower trunk of these trees. Does anyone know what i should do to these? Trim everything but what is actively growing? or will they come back? The branches seem to have no life and no sap. thanks for any help
 
jap maples

if you want to save them the cut the off just above the new growth. Be sure to look carefully and make sure their are no new bids pushing out above,they may be rather small, but every bit of height matters (I imagine). Another test you can do is to scrape the bark of the ttree withy our fingernail and if their is green underneath (the cambium) then they are still alive. Typically jap maples are pretty east to recognize deadwood, the deadwood will snap off with your fingers. Good Luck>
 
pita

we are experiencing the same problem here at the Biltmore. we have lots of jap. maples that need to be, essentially, topped (gasp!). my boss with 20 years experience doesn't even know what to do with them. he called the job "demoralizing" because it makes you call into question everything you know about pruning. just cutting them back to the green, hundreds of cuts per tree, big pita.
 
Prune not in Anger

we are experiencing the same problem here at the Biltmore. we have lots of jap. maples that need to be, essentially, topped (gasp!). my boss with 20 years experience doesn't even know what to do with them. he called the job "demoralizing" because it makes you call into question everything you know about pruning. just cutting them back to the green, hundreds of cuts per tree, big pita.


I notice Winchman's "jap. maples". Abreviated "Japanese". Nice touch Winchman. Shows respect to the Japanese culture and people.

Here is my take on it from another thread.

Sorry to hear of your maple problem. It was wide spread and unusual to have such a late freeze. I have hundreds of Japanese Maples, most in containers, and most experienced some damage. Overall all they are okay. I lost a few, mostly from secondary problems associated with the freeze and affecting those that were more susceptible due to lack of timely cultural practices on my part. The problem that most worried me was pseudomonas resulting from freeze damage. As a precaution I sprayed my trees with copper hydroxide just prior to the onset of frigid temps. Some of mine sustained tip die back, the new tender growth was damaged. I was torn between a long tedious job of pruning the necrosis out or just letting the trees compartmentalize. I opted on the latter and things look okay. I would just supply adequate irrigation and supply a good fertilizer soon. Avoid hot fertilizers that incorporate muriate of potash a.k.a. potassium chloride in the blend. A complete fertilizer with a micro package such as Pennington Nursery & Landscape 14-7-7 has always worked well for mine. A liquid feed of something like Monty's or fish emulsion w/ kelp would be good. An organic granular such as Nature Safe Natural & Organic Fertilizers or ESPOMA would be good also. Feed the roots or more accurately, the soil micro organisms that make nutrients available to the plant. Humates are good and foliar feeding is also. Keep an eye on it and give it the necessary cultural practices as needed but don't over do it. Keep it watered and don't apply much fertilizer after...say July 15th. I am sure that there may be subsequent symptoms of freeze damage that will show up later. Good luck and check out this thread on the very same subject:

http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=49995
 
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Japanese

my apologies Elmore, and any others disrespected by my slipup. I really didn't mean to offend, honestly I didn't think that particular shortening was offensive anymore, but different things offend different people. no disrespect meant, none whatsoever, i respect the Japanese and their culture as much as anyone on here. so sorry.
 
Misunderstanding

my apologies Elmore, and any others disrespected by my slipup. I really didn't mean to offend, honestly I didn't think that particular shortening was offensive anymore, but different things offend different people. no disrespect meant, none whatsoever, i respect the Japanese and their culture as much as anyone on here. so sorry.

winchman...you misunderstood me. I was applauding you for at least abbreviating it by putting a "." after jap. Many just say Jap Maple. You at least put a period in there indicating an abbreviation. I usually refer to these great trees as "Japanese Maples". Years ago I saw Martha Stewart on TV showing her audience how to plant a Japanese Maple in a container for a balcony garden. In the end she called it a "Palm Maple" I cracked up...she saw the tag which I am sure read "Acer palm."' "palm." The abbreviation for the species...palmatum.
 
Years ago I saw Martha Stewart on TV showing her audience how to plant a Japanese Maple in a container for a balcony garden. In the end she called it a "Palm Maple" I cracked up...she saw the tag which I am sure read "Acer palm."' "palm." The abbreviation for the species...palmatum.
Brad that is funny, Martha tried to be so mnay things.

I like your program for recovery, and I also believe it would work as well in a public garden, where short-term aesthetics are a bigger concern.

winchman, if your boss is w.h., you might refer him to Elmore. "Cutting back to the green" works better on big trees, not little ones.
 
How has your rainfall been? Water is critical now and then to recovery- movement of sugars. Are you seeing any epicormic growth? What typoe of fertilizer program are you on? Are the leaves larger than normal and normal color?
 

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