struggling acer

Andrew67

my acer is really suffering and alot of the branches appear dead. can i cut these? and does anyone have any suggestions on how to improve the situation?

Paul B3

Your Acer looks quite a substantial size ; probably too large for the container it's growing in .

Probably indicative of last years heat and drought , it looks badly stressed .

I have several cardinal rules for growing these .

1 Protection from drying winds .

2 Place in dappled shade if possible .

3 Preferably use only rainwater .

4 Use a slightly acidic growing medium .

5 Keep moist at all times even during the Winter months .

6 Feed regularly throughout the growing season .

Removal of dead branches and twigs is a necessity ; there's no point in leaving them on.

Hopefully your tree will make a slow recovery and return to a semblance of its former self .

Good luck !

Andrew67

many thanks 

Teriannemily

One of mine did this i ended up putting mine in a border took dead branches off,looked a picture for several years now 

B3

Same here. There comes a time when they're to big to keep in a container. I moved mine when I couldn't keep up with the watering they needed 

Guernsey Donkey2

Yes, I agree that the acer is too big for the container.  I wouldn't advise pruning or removing dead pieces now, wait until the leaves have dropped, not when the weather is freezing at night and before next years buds are coming up.  I have two which are growing successfully in pots that are 30 inches tall and 20 inches wide.  So far so good - both look healthy with plenty of new growth on them. I agree Paul, that they do not like to be in a windy or exposed area, even if the majority of the time the wind doesn't blow there.

Andrew67

thanks to everyone for the replies