Japanese maple. Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Plants and Bulbs | 32 comments
I bought this little tree on eBay three years ago. It looks bereft now in autumn and it is rapidly losing its leaves. They have turned from dark purple to a stunning red. For nine months it delights me. The foliage is small, dainty and exquisite. I had always thought that Japanese maples were a bit prinky, until I got one. Somehow this diminutive tree has crept under my skin. I would like to buy more.
Old friends had a large one in a stone pot in their garden and it looked superb. I was disappointed when mine arrived. It looked so small and tatty. Somehow I imagined that it would magically have thick foliage from day one like the tree I had seen at my friends’.
I potted it on in year two and it settled down and started to look much happier. This year it has really come into its own and loved the rainy summer. I plan to move it to a bigger pot in the spring.
Our acer lives near the east facing back wall of the cottage so it gets morning sun and shade in the afternoons. I reckon that during its first two summers it needed more water than it was given. Next year I am planning to set up automatic watering for the pots at the back of the cottage as they easily get forgotten when we are busy.
These Japanese maples are slow growing trees. In the spring and summer the delicate leaves of our specimen are a dark burgundy colour which looks pretty as a contrast to the pale walls of the cottage. In autumn, the leaves turn to this superb red. When I moved the scented geraniums out of the pots beside the back door, I replaced them with the maple so that we can see it when we open the door and enjoy the autumn colour as the leaves fall.
Maples can be expensive to buy but a brief foray onto the Internet this morning tells me that they are a cut price bargain in the Autumn and Winter. Thompson and Morgan is selling an 18 specimen for £8.99. So if you would like to own one this would be the perfect time to buy one. You wouldn’t really start to enjoy the little tree until the Spring but the saving would make it worth the wait.
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Hello Kate (uk)
Thanks for this useful information. Great! Sometimes I move shrubs in the Spring and it’s a bit of a nightmare. Suddenly I have all the information that I need.
Hi Carol
I’m afraid I can’t help you with this. Sorry.
Hi,When is the best time to prune my acer?
If you are going to move it the very best time is in the Spring once the soil has warmed up but before the tree has got into growth, you can move it in late autumn, but the first frosts could knock it back badly. Also, if you do get some die-back after moving it in the Spring, you can prune it out and get good new growth before the summer is over.
Prepare your planting hole before you dig up the tree. Make the new hole square- this promotes better root growth, chuck in some compost if you have it, water generously and let the water soak into the soil. Make sure the hole is the right depth so the tree is no lower in the soil than it is currently- have some soil/compost ready to put under it if needed.
Dig out your tree. The really important roots will be within about 2 foot of the trunk, so gently dig at least this much rootball out with the tree. Fork to loosen the roots in a circle at least 2ft from the trunk around the tree, don’t just chop through them with a spade. Have a bucket/tarpaulin/wheelbarrow handy to put the tree in/on to move it to the new location.
Speed is of the essence, the faster you get the tree into its new hole, the less stress it will feel.
Water it in well and heel it in- if it is short and in a sheltered position it won’t need staking BUT to get it through the Summer, position a length of plastic drainpipe diagonally into the soil 1ft/18″ from the tree trunk, push it into the soil and leave enough sticking up out of the soil so that you can put water down it straight to the roots. Purple leaved Maples aren’t wild about too much bright sunlight and the tips of the leaves burn readily, so make sure you keep it watered for it’s first summer, using the sunken drainpipe will mean you need not water it daily as the water you do give it will not evaporate but go to the roots, so every 2/3 days will be fine, if it is VERY hot and dry (!) do it daily.
I’ve moved various small trees this way and they have been fine. It is too late to do it this year, but that gives you time to work out exactly where you want the tree to go. If your soil is chalky/alkaline give the maple a liquid feed of sequestrine once it has been in situ for a few weeks to perk it up as maples prefer acid soil.
I moved three maples from pots into the soil early last Spring and they are fine-just make sure you do it once the soil is warm and before the Maples come into bud.
The size of the tree is crucial- if your tree is BIG, you could prune the branches this year and move it next Spring, the move would effectively root prune it and it would start into growth again after the move.
Hope that helps!
Hi Amanda
If you are planning to move a small tree always do this in the autumn. If you live in the UK and move it now the tree might not recover and you will be watering it every evening until autumn.
I agree with Kate(UK). How big has it got? The bigger that it is the harder it’s to move successfully.
How big has it got?
I planted an acer thirteen years ago and wish too move it what are my chances ? when and how should i do it? it is stunning and i would hate to lose it , bought it the day before my daughter was born help!!!!!
please someone help me. i have a small concrete yard and thought it would look nice with a few ptted plants and such like last year for my twenty first my grandparents bought me a small acer it was okay to start with and i bought a bigger pot for it. it is my first acer so i was a bit worried but i kept it half in the shade and have made sure it has enough water. i didnt realise that the pot didnt have any holes in the bottom and it got water logged we took it out to dry the soil and put hols in after we put it back it seemed okay. now the purple coloured branchs are turning brown it has no leaves or buds i’m really scared its not going to get better. please someone help. i dont understand my mum also gave me an acer that was dying before she moved abroad that still had the dead leaves on but now it has come back to life. and has new green leaves. it is in a different place in the yard does this have alot to do with it allthough it isnt in the shade. please help i hate seeing the look on my grandparents faces when they see my acer is poorly. 🙁
Hello Martin C
I love my acer too.
I think that you are right. They look good in a small location as you need to by close to them to appreciate their delicacy.
Glad that you are enjoying the site.
Hi there,
Have quite a small garden but the acers I have bring immense pleasure to me and the acer family generally seems to suit the smaller location. Great website!
Hi Julie
What a shame.
I don’t know what has gone wrong with your Acer, perhaps it is wind damage.
I’d try giving it a good feed and moving it to a warmer spot.
Sorry not to be able to help.