Acer leaves turning brown in the heat

Kbuckmaster72

I had this problem last year and the garden centre said it was too much sun. This year I have used parasols to protect them and two of three have done the same again. The red leaved one is worse than the green and variegated leaves. What can I do short of moving them. I have a very small back garden that is in full sun until 4pm and a small lawned area in the front that I thought got very little sun but now I know it gets more than I imagined. I don't have much room for moving. They are all in pots Is there anything else I can do? 

Fairygirl

It can also happen when they go short of water in spring as the leaves are forming and appearing. It's a very hard job keeping them hydrated in pots, unless you have some decent shade to get them into. Keeping them mulched with bark after they're thoroughly soaked can help prevent moisture loss a bit, but it's getting them out of the sun that's important. Even if you can get them out of mid day sun for a few hours, that can help. I'm assuming you have them in some decent soil in the pots, and not just compost?

I don't think there's much you can do at this stage, except cross your fingers that we have a more normal weather pattern next year - and keep watering regularly. The red ones will always struggle with it a bit more.

Ladybird4

Hello Kbuckmaster. Most acers far prefer to be in slight shade but the quirky drought-like weather will not be helping this season either. I have a 20 foot Katsura tree which has lost virtually all of its leaves due to lack of rain. I'm hoping that this way of preventing water loss will not mean I lose this tree. Your acers are possibly exhibiting similar behaviour. As a matter of interest, what colour are the pots? I only ask this as dark coloured pots absorb heat readily and in the hot sun the roots of any plants in dark coloured pots can fry.

Fire

I had the same problem for years and tried everything. I moved mine to spot with no direct sun at all and they still crinkled. This time, I assume from lack of water after the move, despite having kept a close eye. They can seem like divas sometimes.

jamesharcourt

I've had issues with my Acers too.  Many newly planted ones and some had been moved … we had waterlogging back in March but crazy sun and drought for the last month or so and I'm kinda stuck as to what's gone on with some of them.   Some of those in the full sun have flourished and grown almost 50% extra or what even looks like double the January size … some have just crispened leaves that look very very sad despite most soil around the roots and frequent careful watering …

I think the divas description from @Fire is pretty appropriate!

 I wish they could speak, lol!

ZeroZero1

Me too, though i understand this leaf curl is not really  problem, by which I mean it's not a disease or soil issue - weather related

Fire

... no but it's a problem if it happens every bloomin' year and you have a crisp tree at the turn of June.

Mary370

My leaves on my acer are usually very burned and crispy by the end of August......this year it is very bedraggled looking

Fire

I think part of the problem is that once a leaf crisps, that's it for the rest of the year. Your tree stays crispy.

Dovefromabove

jamesharcourt said:  ...........

I think the divas description from @Fire is pretty appropriate!

 I wish they could speak, lol!

Really?!  Don't you think it'd be a lot of 'fetch me this' and 'fetch me that' and 'move me this way, then that, just a little further ... no, that's too far,' and a lot of grumbles about the temperature of the water , not to mention complaints about the view!?

  

Fire

... I couldn't take the whining. Too beautiful for their own good. Demanding everything to be perfect. No doubt in their homeland they are happier, in native environments.