Acer advice

[Masterofcats]

Hi,
I would like a standard red Acer for my garden. Does anyone have one , how is it doing etc? I can see some online available but unsure if they are a good idea??
Will it grow in the ground and what sort of hight? I don't want massive but a bit of hight for some privacy would be great.
I'm in southern UK chalky soil.

Acer Plant Tamukeyama Dissectum 150cm Stem. 35 Litre
is one I saw online??? is this sort of tree ok?
Novice gardener and bare garden. so need advice.

There have been a few posts on here about Acers previously with good advice. Worth a look. Gardeners world and the RHS also have good advice pages.

They are lovely trees with gorgeous forms and leaves but they do prefer ericaceous soil (I grow mine in a pot) and can get scorched by too much sun or wind. They don't like being too dry either.

Acers do grow in the ground, but most don't like chalk. The kind you state is a japanese maple with dissected leaves, they tend to stay small and grow outwards rather than upwards. They also don't like wind.

Not exactly a privacy tree, but a beautiful specimen. There are other japanese maples which grow upright and therefore taller, usually many of the palmatum rather than the dissectum ones. If you like red leaves, bloodgood is the typical one, with fairly dark leaves, or fireglow with brighter red leaves. Both will grow to about 4m easily (although not fast). With more dissected leaves but still an upright grower is starfish, but it generally only grows to about 2m tall.

But they will always be fairly hard work on chalk. You could grow one in a large pot if you think you will water it reliably.

Some good advice here for trees for chalk. They reckon acers are OK, they really don't like windy conditions and are better in shelter and not full sun.

A top grafted standard won't get any taller but will get bushier. You might be better off with a tree that's not a standard.

Also some good advice here for privacy in small gardens.

I'd think about planting a wafty tree - like a small birch or an amelanchier ... but depends on the size of the garden.

Thank you all sooo much. Really helpful info and I was obviously on completely wrong track.

If you want a red one, go for a variety that has 'atropurpureum' somewhere in its name.

I’ve got 2 in a windy garden , one in a pot and one in the ground and to be honest neither is very happy. In fact I might try and find the pot one a more sheltered spot. They are beautiful if happy, but the leaves really show it if they aren’t