Maple Repot Video

Urbansai

Great Video! Quite an impressive tree also. I'm sure i'll get in trouble here at work if i get caught watching again...
I'll be repotting a maple soon, and even though i've repotted several trees before and know the technique, I feel more comfortable having seen someone else do it. Any secret recipe for your soil mix?
Keep up the great work!

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TreeBay

Hi UrB

Soil is a tricky subject because it depends on climate, species and watering patterns. You can adapt your watering a bit to compensate for a mix that drains too slowly or too quickly, and you can take advantage of microclimates in your yard to some extent too.

We have hot dry summers, so I try to keep my japanese maples out of direct early afternoon sun in the summer months.

I use a mix of crushed lava, fir bark, shale and #3 sand. Over the past two years I have substituted Japanese akadama*** for the shale, with good results. Other growers in the east bay use lava, bark, pumice and some even add in a bit of peat moss.

"add a pinch of Gypsum" is a recommendation I have heard for Japanese Maple.

Brown spots in the center of leaves and top of branches are usually caused by sunburn. Crispy leaf edges can be caused by windburn, but it is usually an indication that the tree got dry when it was hot out.n If the tree's canopy is large enough to shade a good portion of the soil, it helps keep the roots cool and working to provide enough moisture to the leaves to meet the demand.

Be very careful with watering as summer approaches unless you are lucky (!) to live in an area with a humid summer.

Regards,

Matt

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Tony

"Be very careful with watering as summer approaches unless you are lucky (!) to live in an area with a humid summer"

Lucky?

Matt, You must come visit us sometime in August. It'll be 110 and 70 % humidity by then.

PS: Bring your own towels.