I need urgent help to save a maple.

[mohsenosmehr]

I have this green Japanese maple tree that I don't know its species. It has lost almost 90% of its leaves. When I got it, it looked sick and many of its leaves had dried up, and it was in a room with a split air conditioner that was on during the day and off at night, and the room temperature was cool and dry during the day and warm at night.

I moved it to my room with an evaporative cooler on the roof. And I put a cold steam humidifier on the pot, which is apparent in the photo, and I turn it on at midnight for one to three hours.
Also, I noticed that the pot did not have enough drainage, so I changed the hard soil, which was wet and lumpy, to lighter soil, And I added four small holes to the single hole at the bottom of the pot. to drain the water better.

I read somewhere that maple likes moist soil with good drainage, but I have to wait until the soil dries out a bit before watering it. But the potting soil doesn't dry out at all, even after I replaced it with light, well-drained soil. Therefore, every three days, I pour less than one glass of water on one side of the pot. Each time on a different side. Also, I put a base under the pot so that it does not come into contact with the plate and the water collected in it.

I used fungicide to wet the soil around the roots when changing the potting soil a mount ago. And I placed the pot in the shade in the room three meters away from the window to prevent the leaves from getting sunburned. The room faces south and the windows have Fabric Zebra Roller curtains that are always half closed.

These photos are from three days ago. Although new buds are visible on the maple and two or three small leaves are growing, it is clear, the previous leaves and even the new leaves are drying. According to my observation, there are three different types of drying, very few leaves dry yellow and brown, and the rest of the leaves are either dry green or gray.

This morning, more than 70% of the leaves seen in the picture were dry and were easily removed with one hand pull.

Is there any hope left for my maple? How can I improve the growing conditions of the buds so that the very young leaves and buds do not dry out? I am begging for urgent help.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Maples don't grow indoors. Set it outside in dappled sun/shade. Hopefully it's only cosmetic.

Get yourself a ficus...and it will thrive indoors. This one...is the wrong choice for that location.

 

[RoadManDenDron]

Welcome to the forum,

First of all it would be really helpful if you can update your profile with a location as this helps to give advice based on your local climate and seasons.

Secondly, you need to stop watering until the soil gets dry, too much water is as bad as no water. If the soil is not drying out adding more water will likely make things worse and can lead to root rot.

I think indoors there is probably not enough airflow for proper transpiration to take place and therefore too much water is sitting in the pot.

This tree would be much better off outdoors, though it will probably need easing into the sun if it has been inside a while and would be best in the shade.

It looks like there are a few buds popping up so the tree is using its stored energy to stay alive, best to give it the best chance you can because if these buds die it is not likely to have much reserves left.

 

[mohsenosmehr]

Thank you for your answer. In our area, the temperature outside is high. Something about 38 degrees Celsius. Also, the air outside is dry. The humidity is about 15%. I don't think my tree will last outside. There is no way to trick him into thinking he is in the open air?
This is not my plant. I only took him to save him.

 

[Shibui]

First thing is, as mentioned above - maples are extremely difficult to keep indoors. Unfortunately no-one has come up with easy answers to how to trick maples into growing indoors.
Second thing is that most bonsai work is seasonal. We can't give useful advice without knowing where in the world you live. There's a spot in the personal profile for a location for exactly that reason.
Japanese maple is not really a great choice for hot, dry climate but with some shade they can do OK. I grow a few and it gets well above 40C on some summer days here.

 

[mohsenosmehr]

My maple pot is located in Tehran, Iran.
I am afraid that if I enter that location in my profiles, I will have problems accessing some sites due to international sanctions. This problem has happened to me before on Spotify and google lens.

 

[mohsenosmehr]

So if I understand correctly, you are telling me that despite the heat and low humidity, I should put the maple pot outside where it will receive a little sunlight? dappled sun/shade?
If I do this, won't the remaining leaves dry? Is there anything I can do to make sure it doesn't dry out outside?

 

[Shibui]

I see why you may be reluctant to add your location but thanks for giving it. Helps to put the problem into context.
Tehran climate is outside my knowledge so I can only make guesses.
My maples live outside all year round with shade and water twice a day in the hot, dry summer summer. You can try to compare our climate to see if yours is any drier or hotter. I guess Tehran is a bit hotter than here in summer so you may need to give more water and more shade to keep a maple happy.
Frankly I do not think you have much choice. I do not think Japanese maple will live long inside no matter what you do. Not sure why anyone thought that having Japanese maple as a bonsai in your climate was a good idea. There are many much better species that would grow well there and also some that will do well inside but not Japanese maple, unfortunately.

 

[Kanorin]

Besides watering the tree 3-4 times per day and giving it dappled shade, not too much else can be done. There are some trees that are just too far out of their normal climate range to be worth the battle…I think this Japanese Maple is one of those trees for your climate.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

So if I understand correctly, you are telling me that despite the heat and low humidity, I should put the maple pot outside where it will receive a little sunlight? dappled sun/shade?
If I do this, won't the remaining leaves dry? Is there anything I can do to make sure it doesn't dry out outside?

Conifers like Junipers will thrive where you live. Acquire some Juniper Procumbens, keep them outside from Spring to Winter. If Winter outdoors in Iran is not cool enough, provide cool and dark environment inside during winter to accomplish dormancy to ensure survival and growth in the following Spring.

Black grow container, organic soil, solid fertilizer (apply once every 6 months), plenty of sun every day, water only when soil feels dry about 1” deep, water until dripping out of bottom of container.

 

[rodeolthr]

I know several people that keep maples here in hot, desert like climates (Texas, Arizona, Palm Springs), and though they struggle in the summer, they are able to maintain them by keeping them shaded and in the coolest spot possible.....always outside. Misting the leaves with water regularly will help with humidity, but will probably also result in a buildup of calcium spotting, since your water is very likely alkaline in nature.

 

[Paradox]

The leaves look like they have powdery mildew to me which is odd considering the dry climate it's in.

I have to agree with others. This tree will not survive inside. A Shady location outside is your best bet. However I have to question whether a maple can survive in your location.

A tropical tree like a ficus would probably be a better choice for your location

 

[BrightsideB]

There are tree’s that I can’t grow outdoors because of my climate. It’s annoying but there are still plenty of options. It’s wanting to have what you can’t have lol

 

[mohsenosmehr]

Thank you all for the attention and importance you gave to the drying of my tree. As a last question, considering the temperature of 38 degrees Celsius here these days, in order not to get a thermal shock to this thin plant, when I move it outside the room, is there anything I can do so that the transfer does not cause a fatal shock? Or is there no need to worry, should just take it outside in the shade and hope that it will accept the change ?

 

[Mikecheck123]

Thank you all for the attention and importance you gave to the drying of my tree. As a last question, considering the temperature of 38 degrees Celsius here these days, in order not to get a thermal shock to this thin plant, when I move it outside the room, is there anything I can do so that the transfer does not cause a fatal shock? Or is there no need to worry, should just take it outside in the shade and hope that it will accept the change ?

At 38 C, you need to be watering the tree thoroughly at least twice a day, even in full shade. Water until it runs out the bottom of the pot.

 

[Bonsai Forest]

Thank you all for the attention and importance you gave to the drying of my tree. As a last question, considering the temperature of 38 degrees Celsius here these days, in order not to get a thermal shock to this thin plant, when I move it outside the room, is there anything I can do so that the transfer does not cause a fatal shock? Or is there no need to worry, should just take it outside in the shade and hope that it will accept the change ?

I hope your tree will survival, my friend. All Bonsai want to be outside. Trees should be outside.

 

[Kanorin]

Unless you have some kind of high-output artificial lighting, the tree will continue to decline indoors. Outdoors won’t be easy, but it has a chance to make it with great care.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Thank you all for the attention and importance you gave to the drying of my tree. As a last question, considering the temperature of 38 degrees Celsius here these days, in order not to get a thermal shock to this thin plant, when I move it outside the room, is there anything I can do so that the transfer does not cause a fatal shock? Or is there no need to worry, should just take it outside in the shade and hope that it will accept the change ?

I tried to keep Japanese maple trees in Southern California and it was difficult. There were three main problems: (1) sun intensity, (2) low humidity, (3) bad water (too alkaline - pH too high).

I was only successful when I placed the tree in almost complete shade and protected it from the wind. I had to use acid fertilizer to lower the pH of the soil. Even so, Japanese maples are not very strong trees, and it was very hard to keep it alive.

However many trees thrived outdoors in my climate and required very little special care. Junipers and black pines did very well. Mediterranean species like olives and cork oaks also did well. And tropical trees like ficus, Brazillian rain tree, Texas ebony, etc, did great.

 

[rockm]

In addition to the heat and low humidity, lack of dormancy indoors is also going to be a problem. Maples require a period of winter dormancy to remain healthy--that temperature has to be below 40 or lower for months. The process of dormancy partially depends on shortening day length in summer as autumn approaches. It also depends on frost and freezes in late autumn. The tree isn't going to experience any of that inside.

I'd get the tree outside, in full shade (shade outside is still multiple times brighter than most un supplemented indoor light) and make sure it doesn't dry out (or stay too wet, which is also a problem).

 

[Mikecheck123]

Also, lots of trees, including Japanese maples, regulate growth by the difference between day and night temperatures. That's something you'll never be able to replicate indoors.