Acers Advice

pugslovesun

Hi everyone, does anyone have experience of being able to grow an acer in exposed conditions. I live @ 900ft and its windy and even though my garden is enclosed, there's not really anywhere that escapes the wind.
I've got friends who have a beautiful acer which makes your sprits rise with its gorgeous colours and I am envious!!! Their's is small variety but don't know what.
Hope or a definite no go??
Thanks for reading.

BobTheGardener

Assuming acer palmatum types, there's a small to fair chance if you can create a local microclimate for it.  For example by planting it in front of roughly west-facing fence, hedge or wall with a type of shrub (preferably evergreen, so the young acer leaves are protected early on the season) planted on each side to filter the wind as much as possible.  I think @Lyn lives somewhere similar and may have some experience with growing other wind-hating things if not acers.

pugslovesun

Hmmm thanks for that bob, aha, I do have a west facing fence.

Allotment Boy

One of the biggest causes of "wind scorch" on Acers is in fact dryness at the roots. Acers tend to have very fine roots and when first planted either in pots or the ground it can take a while for the root system to be able to supply enough water to the fine leaves. As Bob says some protection to filter the wind will help and the palmatum types will be more tolerant than the disectum ones.

hogweed

Our prevailing winds are mostly from the SW so in front of a west facing fence would be ideal as suggested. That's where mine are apart from one which is south facing but kinda sheltered and another which takes the full force of everything going - and is thriving! Nowt as queer as plants! Apart from folk!!

wild edges

I'm up at over 1000ft and quite exposed and there's plenty growing in gardens around here. You have to stick to the smaller bushy types but they grow well and have good colour. I keep mine in pots and move the more feathery leafed types into tucked away corners if they're in leaf during bad weather. Pick a broader leaf variety though and they seem more wind tollerant.

Buttercupdays

I have a dark red Palmatum that lives in a pot on the terrace and thrives.

The garden is more than 1200ft, it gets full sun and every wind that blows and lots of rainfall. It even survived this summer, though I had to move it to protect it from renegade sheep!

pugslovesun

Thanks everyone very helpful and encouraging, have redone the garden a bit so I think I might have a spot that will do. Hogweed and wild edges what varieties have you got?
cheers

Lyn

I also live at almost 1000 ft, on the edge of Dartmoor, very windy, I bought my Acer from J. Parker for 1.99 a few years ago, it’s about 7ft now, although I do cut it back, it will eventually grow to about 30 ft, not sure if it will be that big in my garden, plants tend to ground hug a bit here, but it will be big enough for me.
It seems to love the acid soil here. 

pugslovesun

Thanks Lyn. Good to know. 

Fairygirl

The aspect's important, and the amount of shelter from drying winds/frosts etc, but it's mainly  about creating a nice little corner for it, as has been said. Altitude is really only a factor if the surroundings aren't suitable. 
I work at a property at around 6oo feet, and there's  two Acers, long established, which get a bit of frazzling some years as they're more exposed to the north and east. House sits behind,and quite close to,  them.  Interestingly, it's the green one which gets a bit more damage, not the dark one. Both are palmatums. A third one which is tucked down only fifteen feet or so, is usually unaffected. It has more protection from the stone steps and banking, which the other two sit on. 
They certainly don't suffer from lack of moisture, which can be another factor in drying foliage if it happens at the wrong time. ABoy has already mentioned that.