Acer problems

Hi all,

I have 2 acers, one green and one dark red (don't know the names as they were from bargain bench in local garden centre 2 years ago and had no labels!) They are both in big pots in ericaceous compost. They are in shade most of the day apart from a few hours in the morning, and right beside the house so fairly sheltered. About a month ago the green one's leaves started going brown and shrivelling up, and all the branch tips are dying back. Now its happening to the red one too I have no idea what might be wrong or what to do, any ideas please? Thanks.

Have they always been potted up in ericaceous compost ? I only ask because I use bog standard multi-purpose for acers.

Might sound obvious, but have you watered them enough? Are they in a windy spot?

And yes, they don't need ericaceous compost - multipurpose is fine.

Yes, they've always been in ericaceous, as both our local garden centres advised me thats what they needed! and I've been quite diligent watering them! Green one now has only 2 leaves, very sad

The wind of earlier in the year when the young leaves were emerging did not help but I think a few of mine suffered the same fate as yours due to the heavy rain. It compacted the soil enough that it stayed wet for ages and caused root problems. I removed mine from their pots, loosened the soil, added a small amount of fertiliser and am hoping ther their reserve leaves emerge. I scratched the trunk and they are still green underneath - so do the same. Even if no new leaves come out this year I would wait to see if they emerge next, so keep watering and looking after them.

Because acers naturally grow under trees in leaf litter, a myth has developed that they need ericaceous soil. They will grow in ericaceous soil, but don't need it to thrive.

Alina W wrote (see)

Because acers naturally grow under trees in leaf litter, a myth has developed that they need ericaceous soil. They will grow in ericaceous soil, but don't need it to thrive.

Quite true! I use compost from my garden but do give an ericauous feed when I can remember to do so which is not that often.

I have one green acer of roughly ten years in the ground and one red one at two yrs old in a stone pot with ericaceous soil. I read/heard somewhere that the red ones are more partial to acid soil but to be honest, I need to put the red one on the ground in the next year or so anyhow so its gonna have to tough it out in my sandy soil.

Last time I did a soil test I was just about neutral.

I have a red acer in the ground - my soil sounds very similar to yours, being slightly acid - and it has thrived for the last 20 years, so I wouldn't worry about it. Especially as I think it's probably hit alkaline builders' rubbish long ago