Is this early colouring an issue??

6 years ago

This is question 5 from me in the last 3 weeks.

The October Glory I planted almost 4 weeks ago has taken on a slight colour change over the past few days, it’s started with a couple scorched leaves totally changing colour last week and this afternoon I noticed almost the whole tree is taking on a bit of colour around the edges of the leaves and below them and it’s looking a bit droopy.

We’ve had quite wet and over cast days over the past 3 weeks and the temperatures over night have been on the cool side, it’s also the start of autumn though I don’t think this could be having that much of an effect on this maple as the few in the local nursery and still all in all pretty green.

When I removed it from its pot the roots were a little wayward but not much, i cleared a majority of the potting mix out from the root ball but one main root though got a bit damaged when I was trying to straighten it out, surely one damaged root wouldn’t be causing this though?

Just wondering if this plant is going to give up on me and not come back after winter and I should just cut my loses and plant a new one during autumn?

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Comments (5)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
6 years ago
Can't really offer any suggestions for the tree. But I would suggest that you always tell people you are near Sydney, Australia, when you post a question. It's Autumn for you. Makes a big difference.
brefin
Original Author
6 years ago
Haha yeah good suggestion!

I’m south of Sydney Australia
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
back in the day.. when i was a novice ... and planting in early fall ... it was possible for me to have every leaf fall off ... lol ...

it didnt seem to be any indication that it wouldnt make it thru winter ...

it is a deciduous tree ... and leaf loss can occur due to any stress other than normal seasonal reasons ...

presumably this tree was shipped in summer.. to your seller .. then moved to your house.. and then you unpotted it.. and planted it.. all in leaf ... to say it isnt stressed.. would be an understatement ...

that it actually held its leaves thru that is great ...

that you had a couple weeks of cool and cloudy.. even better ...

and its a maple... nearly indestructible.. imo ...

bottom line.. keep it properly watered.. water deeply and then dont water it again until your finger.. inserted an inch or two .. indicates its drying ... and in fall and winter.. that might be once a month ... who knows.. its your soul to figure out ...

and simply dont try to love it to death ... perhaps you could try to ignore it ... ive had much luck with benign neglect ... lol ...

its going to need some pruning/training.. in 2 years ... you might want to start learning about that ... but dont be in a hurry... next year is root growing time.. the year after.. we can start o the canopy ...

ken

ps: it it were dormant.. [with no leaves to show discoloration]... you could have done this to that tree .. damage to one root is immaterial ...
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Even though you don't see anything happening at the top of the tree, Fall is a time when trees extend their roots, up to 60% from what I understand. Even next season, the tree may not put out a tremendous amount of top growth but will create new roots to establish itself over the summer.

Maples don't like to be drown but they do like consistent moisture, around and beyond the root area. In my sandy soil, I'll water a new tree at least every week when the temps are hot and rain is scarce. As mentioned checking the soil several inches down to see if the tree needs water is the best way.
UpperBayGardener (zone 7)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
If you know North American Maples can colour well in your climate, great. But it wouldn't surprise me if they just find it too darn mild. Our summers are generally hotter than yours although that may not matter if this cultivar was selected way up in New England. But autumns in New England - the eastern US generally - are clear and crisp with succinctly cooler nights than the muggy midsummer period. Rainfall in August and September decreases vs. June and July. OTOH, my understanding is your autumns can be relatively wet and overcast compared to earlier in summer and is when the highest monthly rainfall of the year usually takes place. Even here in Maryland, if we have an abnormally cloudy, wet autumn, the native maples don't color as well. It doesn't seem to affect the Japanese Maples as much.

Found it, selected in central NJ: https://www.pleasantrunnursery.com/plantname/Acer-rubrum-October-Glory

I wouldn't worry about its health, they are almost impossible to kill!

update: Not something I thought I would find myself investigating (most mental energy related to this species goes to killing the freeloaders in my garden!) but I suspected there was a probably a cultivar selected for southern US climates, and there is: https://www.woodlanders.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1820

Isn't to say it would do better for you, though. Florida is hot as hell in summer...slightly hotter and drier than Cairns or Darwin. Post a followup on that big one you found, I am genuinely curious if it shows good color. (or colour!)