Japanese maple tips turning dark

[William Dinitzen]

Hi

Im new to maples (and pretty new to bonsai in general), and recently bought this Japanese maple. I live in Denmark, so its still fairly cold outside, about 5-10 Celcius. Recently I've noticed that the tips of some of the upper leaves have begun turning dark. However they are not turning crispy and brown, how the internet describes it, rather, they seem soggy. The best way I can describe it, is like how it looks if you pour water on a napkin. Im wondering what might be the cause of this, and if I should be concerned.

Thanks in advance, William

 

[William Dinitzen]

Oh and one more thing, since I just recently bought the tree, I hadn't thought to look at the roots, till today. When I pulled it up I noticed that the roots had filled up almost the entire pot, so im wondering whether I should repot now before it becomes too warm, or if I can should till next spring.

 

[Shibui]

When leaves are all out it is already too late to repot properly. You will just have to manage it through this summer and remember to repot earlier next season. Roots will usually fill the pot in less than a year but that does not always mean repot is necessary. Even when the soil appears full of roots there's usually room for more to grow. You may need to water more carefully and fully through hotter months to make sure the water soaks in through the mat of roots.

Not sure about the leaf issue as the photo is not very clear.
Frost is one thing that can cause tips of leaves to turn soft but with night temps above freezing that should not happen. Fungal infection could also cause something similar but I haven't seen any that just affect leaf margins.
Either way it should not be fatal to the tree. The affected parts will eventually turn brown but affected leaves can be removed if you wish. Just watch to see if the problem spreads to other parts of the tree or progresses through the entire leaf.

 

[William Dinitzen]

When leaves are all out it is already too late to repot properly. You will just have to manage it through this summer and remember to repot earlier next season. Roots will usually fill the pot in less than a year but that does not always mean repot is necessary. Even when the soil appears full of roots there's usually room for more to grow. You may need to water more carefully and fully through hotter months to make sure the water soaks in through the mat of roots.

Not sure about the leaf issue as the photo is not very clear.
Frost is one thing that can cause tips of leaves to turn soft but with night temps above freezing that should not happen. Fungal infection could also cause something similar but I haven't seen any that just affect leaf margins.
Either way it should not be fatal to the tree. The affected parts will eventually turn brown but affected leaves can be removed if you wish. Just watch to see if the problem spreads to other parts of the tree or progresses through the entire leaf.

Hi thanks for the reply.
Ive moved the tree to a greenhouse to prevent any wind damages. Furthermore I've cut off any dying leaves. Unfortunately I only bought the tree recently, hence I was unable to repot in the right season, however I've talked to the guy I bought it from, and he agreed with you that it would be optimal to repot properly next spring, which I will be doing! However he moved it to a slightly larger pot, without touching the roots too much, and added a bit extra soil to fill out, hopefully it won't cause any issue. Again, thanks for the reply!