Acer leaf drop and new foliage in June

cork gardener

Hi 
i planted an Acer Sango Kaku at the beginning of April. It was in full leaf (bright green foliage) when I planted it and looked very healthy. In the month or two after I planted the foliage turned yellow, as I would have expected in Autumn. In the last two weeks the tree is shedding it’s foliage, about 50% is gone already. 

Strangely (I think?) the tree is covered in buds which are producing new foliage at the moment. 

Does anyone have any idea what could be going on here? 

When I was taking the photos I noticed a lot of black bugs around some of the new foliage (just on one or two shoots on the tree) - shown in photo.

GravelEater

I'm probably wrong, but those little bugs look a bit like maple aphids.  If they are, the good news seems to be that birds will remove most of them or you could spray with a little washing up liquid in water.
Our acers were covered in those things and they are now clear.  Seemed like a couple of rounds of the bugs too.

Our acers in containers have dropped a few leaves, but I put that down to the very warm and dry weather for a couple of weeks.  I've popped the containers in a larger container and well watered.  All seems well in out case.

Yours is in the ground, I'm hoping you dug in ericaceous compost (acid) when planting and are using neutral to acid water for watering.  So long as the soil is well draining, acers should need a reasonable amount of water, heck what doesn't with the weather lately?

I'm sure more knowledgeable members will offer better advice, or correct me if I am wrong here.  I'd say at least it's not frost, but some poor folks in the north of the UK have had some dodgy weather the last couple of days.

Liriodendron

I don't know what your weather's been like in Cork, but here in Clare it was warm in April, cold and windy in May with late frosts, and warmer, windy and very dry in June.  My Acer 'Sango-kaku', also planted in April, looked very tatty - I've surrounded it with a wind break, kept it well watered and mulched it with ericaceous compost.  It's beginning to put out new leaves - fingers crossed for yours too.

cork gardener

thanks thanks for replies
- yes I think you’re right about the aphids.
- I didn’t dig in ericaceous compost but will mulch with some and it’s been watered with rainwater from a butte. I’ve thought I’ve  kept the soil consistently moist over the very dry weather but it has been incredibly dry so maybe I underwatered. 

That’s reassuring Liriodendrun - I know very little about trees I was just surprised to see a big flush of new foliage this time of year

Fairygirl

I'd say it's underwatering - bearing in mind when you've planted it, but wind can cause havoc with young foliage, so it's most likely a combination, especially as it's a larger specimen, and the greeny/yellow ones are a bit more prone to wind damage.
Mulching with bark is a good idea, but anything will suffice as long as the soil isn't too dry when you apply it. 
If it's producing new foliage, I wouldn't worry too much though. It'll be getting established now and should be fine next year   

cork gardener

Thanks Fairygirl. More watering and mulch is the plan so