I think my Acer has died - can I save it?

Hi,

Unfortunately I went away over the xmas period for 3 weeks and my acer has been subjected to the snow and frost this winter and I fear that it has died. It is about 2 years old, about 4ft and in a pot.

To test if it is alive, I have checked the branches by scratching the bark slightly and underneath it is either brown or a yellowy colour. The main trunk, fairly far down, is showing green underneath the bark.

Most of the branches are slivery grey although there are a couple of wine coloured branches but I have no shoots showing yet or even any signs of any buds appearing.

I need some advice on how to save my lovely acer; should I cut off the twigs that are dead ? What else can I do to help my little tree?

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks

 

Hello, Frizzy,
if your Acer has truly died - or severely damaged, as I think it has - it's not because of the snow or the heavy frosts, but mostly because it has dried out... If you protect a fairly sized pot (and the rootball) with burlap and mulching, you can leave it all outside with adequate water supply - don't let it rot, though. Acers are really cold hardy, although some lesser known varieties e.g. Katsura or Aka Shigitatsu Sawa show twig dieback after extremely low winter temperatures. I assume you have some sort of purple leaved beauty, they're quite tolerant little things.

Silvery grey sounds bad enough, try to snap one into half, if it does crisply and it's completely dry then those parts of your Acer is dead. The rest should be alive, if the buds show some lighter wine colour instead of black or brown then they are definitely alive. Please be patient with it and in a week or so it'll show you which part would survive and which won't. Prune the dead parts in a month, when it becomes obvious what to cut off, and it'll be ok.

Acers recover fairly quickly, it'll put on a lot of new growth until autumn, so don't worry!

 

Acers don't like draughty conditions mind .

 

Wait until you get some leaves and then prune out the dead wood but, from memory, avoid cutting back into live wood - ie wait and see.

What you might find is that it has lost its shape - so might require more pruning in the early winter

 

Thanks guys.

I believe the acer is a palmatum; bright pink small leaves, but not sure of its full name. Maybe a shindeshojo from looking at pictures.

When should I start to see some leaves? For some reason I thought it was spring i.e anytime now?

Do you think repotting it now will cause any problems? It has been in the same pot for 2 years and I do think it needs a bigger pot but dont want to move it for the sake of it if moving it now will cause a problem?

I think I will cut back the obviously dead branches (there are quite a few of these though!) and leave the rest and see what happens.

Unfortunately it has had no protection at all over winter (it didnt previously and was o.k) but I fear this winter may have been all too much for it.

 

Patience man, patience

 

Hi there,

Can I butt in a mo’…….What is the best method for propagating an Acer, such as mentioned above?

Or any Acer come to that!!!

Cheers me hearties!!!!

Steve

 

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