100% Uneducated, but need some semi-urgent advice.

[IIIHawKIII]

2022:


2021:


2017:


OK. So I'm kinda in crisis mode. Have this Japanese Maple, lost the tag for the specifics but I'm pretty sure we got it at Lowe's. As you can see from the progression, my dude is going the wrong way!! I don't have any pics uploaded but I think we planted it in 2014.

Took off, was growing well, low maintenance, just a growing beautiful boy! Then in 2017 we got a later frost and he got pretty pissed. Some tips died off, dead dry, snapped off. Eh, no biggie, nature's gonna do nature stuff.

The the next few years just kinda existed. 2021 got another frost and it dropped all its leaves, but the branches stayed limber. 2022 it was ugly, I did some half ass frost protection and it seemed to do a little better but most of the tree was "crunchy" and it started some "suckers" or new growth down at the bottom near the main forks. 2023 rolled around and I did a little more than half assed (3/4 assed frost protection) just chopped all the dead stuff off, and it had like 2 small clusters of new growth. So this spring I wrapped him up like a newborn baby with dedicated frost cloth and clips, the whole nine.

I was out doing spring clean up, chopped some more dead stuff off and kinda found a patch that looked like maybe it was diseased or had some sort of pest. Then I kinda got curious and next thing I know I'm like "archeological dig" level of investigation. So the whole area under the main trunk was cram jammed packed with perlite (or something like it.) There are some roots that really start curling back around on themselves, but seem mostly healthy. One lateral root had some bright green under the bark where I accidentally scraped it a little. Most of the other stuff was just white. I posted on Reddit in a few tree subs and received multiple responses saying "dig it up and bonsai it!" and I didn't even know that was "a thing!"

I just don't know if I should just dig it up and start over, let it go and just baby it more, or bonsai this thing. I'm attached to it sentimentally, I'd like to keep it alive in some fashion. Bonsai seemed really intriguing. I checked out an ebook from my library, but I think I need a plan of attack sooner than I'll get thru the book.

Northeastern Indiana. It's planted on a northwest corner, doesn't get a ton of sun, mostly morning. I amended a big area of the soil before planting.

Should I cover everything back up and just let it get some good growth? The new growth seems really tight and congested and criss-crossed. I was looking at the wiring and "bending/training branches."

Sorry for rambling, trying to figure out what to do while getting the kids ready for bed, clean up dinner, feed the dog, and all that other fun stuff.

 

[IIIHawKIII]

Came back to add that I was kind of in a frustrated state of "it's live or die time" when I started this excavation. Now I have regrets. I went out and "re-planted" everything. Weather seems mild for the next few days with decent rain.

These bonsai boxes are interesting and I have a lot of 2x6 and 2x4 pine laying around....

 

[bwaynef]

Now isn't the time to dig a maple. If you'd like to dig it, I'd recommend waiting 'til right before it leafs out next spring and dig it up then. Meanwhile, I'd put soil that holds moisture but drains back in where you removed soil. You may treat with a broad-spectrum fungicide ...or at list diluted peroxide. Also, sterilize and seal your cuts.

 

[dr.tenebris]

Japanese Maples are rather picky in my area so we don't recommend them for my area but here's what I can tell ....

From my work I can tell the variety appears to be a blood good... If not a blood good the very similar appearing emperor 1.

When you planted the tree did you give it a mix of your native soil? At the nursery we recommend 1 third soil pep for 2 thirds of your native soil....

Make sure your fertilizing every 3 weeks with a diluted fertilizer water mix.

Possible pest problem based on the damage near the base, when refilling id fill the surface roots with a river rock to help deter insect.. that's the best I can tell from what I'm seeing

 

[Shibui]

Definitely NOT a good time of year to transplant Japanese maple. end of winter and early spring before the leaves appear is much, much safer. As a last resort you could try to transplant but usually safer to try to protect it through to next spring in situ.
If you decide to try transplant, expect all the leaves to turn brown and drop off. That does not always mean dead. The trees do it as a temporary measure to survive while new roots grow. If it does survive the transplant new shoots will sprout in 3-6 weeks.

The tree obviously doesn't like the current conditions. That could be soil type, watering, temperatures, weather or a number of other factors. Do you see many other healthy JM in gardens in your area? There's usually a reason if there are few planted in the area. If there are plenty of successful garden trees then it is likely to be something other than climate. Often that's soil type or watering habits.

 

[BrightsideB]

Could be the frosts wearing the tree out and extending it’s resources leading to a disease. Parts of the trunk dead and roots dead? Regardless it looks like the tree won’t make it sadly but it never hurts to do your best to help it live. Tree’s in the ground are more resilient than in containers.

Peoples advice from Reddit was to dig it up and bonsai it? Lol that’s not something you just simply do and all is good. That was terrible advice but at least you are aware of this now.

 

[IIIHawKIII]

Thanks for all the replies! I'm still really intrigued by the whole bonsai thing (my wife will be thrilled, lol) but I don't know that it's the right play for this guy...and definitely not right now.

I'm a self proclaimed "pretty decent" gardener(flowers)/yard guy so unless there was some magical bonsai "process" that allowed me to transplant now, I knew now wasn't a prime time.

I'm gonna keep reading up on everything, but I'm thinking this fall I might relocate it to the back yard (south facing) and see how it does.

I have seen several around my area that are just thriving, so I definitely think it's location/soil. I skipped ferts the last few years, just seemed kind of a waste, but I'll do them this season in hopes of prepping it for a move in the fall.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Be careful with Japanese maple roots. They don't like wet soil, at all. You should never mulch around the base of a Japanese maple in landscape. It is probably the biggest mistake I see people making when they plant these trees. Watch where your gutter dumps its water and make sure the soil around the tree doesn't get saturated.

If I had to guess, the tree picked up a fungus/root rot and died back to the graft. The entire cultivar crashed. The sprouts you have coming off the base of the tree are from the root-stock.