My poor Acer

[IcarusFlies]

Complete novice…. Is this unsalvageable? The leaves are all withered up. What did I do wrong…?

Are the leaves only just out? Mine look like that for the first day or so when the leaves unfurl and then it’s fine.

Give it a big drink and hope for the best.

Agree it just needs a good drink. These leaves are likely goners, but it might send out new ones.

Did you plant it this year? If so, it needs frequent watering throughout the summer. Some acers don't do well in full sun.

Needs a massive drink and moved to partial shade I would say.

There was an acer in my garden when we moved in, it was in full sun most of the day and very unhappy. The leaves looked scorched and would shrivel. I moved it to the shadiest corner and it is growing very nicely now, with beautiful red leaves from spring to autumn. So you could try moving it to a shady spot and giving it a regular feed and water.

Keep it out of the sun, they prefer shade. Give it a good watering but don’t wet the leaves.

@IcarusFlies How long has it been planted there? It looks as though it has completely dried out at some point. Acers will do fine in a sunny spot as long as they are well-watered and fairly sheltered from the wind.

It's funny how often people say that about not getting leaves wet, and it is a complete myth that it is harmful. It isn't. They get wet in nature all the time and do just fine. Wetting any garden plant's leaves when you're watering will do it no harm at all, including in hot sunshine. That's what happens when the sun comes out after rain anyway. There is some misconception that water droplets concentrate the sun's rays and burn the leaves, but it is demonstrably untrue. What damages leaves is dryness at the roots.

100% this. And what others have said @IcarusFlies Your acer needs about 15 litres of water, and soon ... (About 3 to 4 watering cans full.) If it's in a pot which I am guessing, it can't get any water from the ground/the water table, and even if it IS in the ground, then it still benefits from a watering - especially if it hadn't rained for a fortnight or more.

We have hardly had any rain for some weeks now. The plants (and flowers) in pots need watering every other day. The ones in the beds/garden appreciate it every 3rd day-ish (twice a week.)

And yes it IS nonsense that watering the leaves burns the plant/the leaves. My DH comes out with this utter myth. I mean, what happens if it rains?! And then the plant/tree/leaves get wet, and then the sun comes out!!! Utter nonsense that a watering will burn the plants if the sun comes out! Whoever thought of this needs a slap across the head with a wet kipper.

Please water your acer. 😃 It will love it!

Oh boy. Well we’re away until tomorrow afternoon… but after that I will douse it and then water it every other day this week to try and save it! Thank you!

This happened to my acer two years ago, all the leaves shrinking and fell off in about May. But it survived and the leaves came back next year. I have it in a bit of the garden now that is shady during the hottest part of the day.

It’s in a sheltered raised bed that gets full sun in the morning but is in shade in the afternoon. Planted this year, think I’ve just not been watering it enough… lesson learnt!

@IcarusFlies I have an acer that looks just like this! Mine is around 18 months old, but was very small when I got it (just a stick really). The first year it was fine, but around two weeks ago its leaves all dried up and fell off. I've been watering it and it's in partial shade so I'm hoping for the best. The branches are still green if lightly scratched with a fingernail (my dads suggestion to see if it was still alive!) so I'm watering and hoping!

They are Japanese woodland plants, they don't tolerate sun. They can also suffer and die from wind burn..if you are going away,and no one else can water it. Put the pot in a container of some sort,so that the water doesn't drain away.

It’s not in a pot, it’s in a raised bed… also it was planted on the recommendation of a professional landscaper, so I’m surprised it’s suffering so much :(

They are understorey plants that live at the edge of woodland and are quite happy in partial sun, as the dozen or so of my bonsai acers currently in full sun will testify. I will only move them into partial shade if the temperature goes over about 26/27 degrees. Actually you won't get good autumn colour if they are too shaded. They can cope with it just fine as long as they are well-watered, but what they absolutely do not like is a drying wind. The roots and stems simply can't keep up the water supply to the leaves fast enough via the xylem (the water supply tubes).

Right, I’ve come home and emptied two watering cans on it - but there are other plants next to it which I don’t want to drown! Hopefully this is the start of an upwards trajectory. Thanks for your help!

@IcarusFlies You won't drown nearby plants unless they are things which dislike wet feet, like succulents. The water will just drain away downwards.

I feel like I’m going to really struggle to keep these plants alive! Gah. Need to buy a “gardening for dummies” book…

Yamadori,may I ask if you are in the UK? of course it's a whole lot different watering bonsai and big shrub or tree Acer's.When you said 30 I thought whoooh. I have lost them in sun in our north facing garden in the past. They were watered really well. Course it depends where we live,I'm in the warmest part of the SE UK

@Nannyfannybanny Yes, I'm in the UK (my username is a bonsai term which means tree collected from the wild). The thing acers really aren't keen on is the wind, and that applies whether you are growing them in a bonsai pot, a large patio container or in the ground. Japanese maples live at the edges of woodland in their native habitat, so get some shade and wind protection from the larger trees around them. Their native is somewhat different from here in the UK which is why they can just give up in our climate for apparently little reason. Some varieties are more touchy than others.

As long as they are kept moist and out of strong winds they are usually okay.

'Their native climate is somewhat different' that should say.

Well I’m still watering it… I have no idea if I’m doing enough. Or too much. It’s not looking any better.

Acers don't like wind so find a sheltered spot.