Japanese Maple, Brown Leaf Tips?

joesteady

This past month my Japanese maple's leaf tips have been drying up and turning brown; even the new ones.

This tree was very healthy when I bought it. The nursery had it in a semi-shaded area, so I got some 50% shade material and the plant is protected from full sun for most of the day. Around 5 PM the late afternoon sun hits it from the side, but as I am costal (southern ca) it has mostly stayed below 80°F in the late afternoon.

I have been watering it nearly every evening around 7PM as the soil appears to be all dried up and I think it needs it.

The only thing I can think of is the plant's proximity to the shade cloth. The top of the Maple is less than a foot under the cloth.

Any ideas what else could cause this? I searched the archives with not much luck.

Thanks,
Joe

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kvnharv29

Maybe its too dry, maples cant get dry like conifers. Is just the surface dry or is it dry deeper in the soil?

-Kevin

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joesteady

ahh, I've been letting it dry completely. The soil has a high lava pebble %, currently it takes a day to dry out pretty much completely.

I will try keeping that soil moist on a more consistent basis, albiet twice a day watering.
Thanks,
Joe

kvnharv29

Hopefully it wont die! What exactly is in your soil?
You could thing about adjusting your soil to help it retain moisture better, especially during summer heat.

-Kevin

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joesteady

I'm not sure, it's still in the soil I bought it in. It seems to be more lava than soil though.

For repotting I was thinking about using a 50% Gardening soil, 50% lava mix.

I still need to research the best time for repotting, I think I should at least wait to see if it gets better with more water. What do you think?
Thanks again,
Joe

rglewis49

I always leave my japanes3 maples sitting in a tray with about 1/2 inch of water, that way there is always moisture for the soil to soak up. never had a problem since i started doing that.

thejimmyrigger

Woh, don't do that, you're risking some serious root rot. Water it seven times a day if it needs it before submersing some of the pot permanently. The stagnant puddle in the pot will breed all sorts of nastiness. Occasional dunks are ok, they moisten the soil fully and quickly, but then its out of the pool for the tree..

jim

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rglewis49

The water doesnt get stagnant, I have to fill the tray with fresh water every morning due to evaporation. Actuall, i could have worded that a little better. It doesnt constantly sit in the tray, but during the hot part of the day when im not at home, it does. I usually sit it in the tray of water in the morning before work, and remove it when it get home. Thats the only thing i have found to keep the leaves from turning brown at the tips.