Japanese maple won't grow taller

[nanava]

We have a Japanese maple, most likely a Crimson Queen -- cascading, with red, lacy leaves. My husband bought it for me as an anniversary gift back in 2003. It was very young at the time, and it really has not gained any height since then.

I noticed early on that the leader branch curled down very severely. It made almost a complete U shape straight down, and then curved back up in another U where it touched the ground. After two years, it didn't seem to be gaining any height, and the leader branch just looked terrible, so I cut it off. The rest of the branches make graceful arcs, it appears to be healthy, and it really is a beautiful tree. It is growing outward some, and the trunk gets thicker every year, but it still has not gained any height in the 4 years we have had it. It is about 2 1/2 feet tall with a five foot diameter.

I know they are not supposed to get very tall --only 6 feet at most, but it just doesn't seem to have grown upward at all.

Thanks for any help!

 

[gumneck]

Probably not your problem but thought I'd throw the thought out there. My grandfather had an apple tree he had for over twenty years and it didn't put on much growth. He said for me to take it if I wanted it so I dug it up and low and behold roots never made it out of the burlap it was grown in and planted with . Transplanted it without the burlap and it did fine.

So maybe you have the same burlap issue.

 

[elmnut]

We have a Japanese maple, most likely a Crimson Queen -- cascading, with red, lacy leaves. My husband bought it for me as an anniversary gift back in 2003. It was very young at the time, and it really has not gained any height since then.

I noticed early on that the leader branch curled down very severely. It made almost a complete U shape straight down, and then curved back up in another U where it touched the ground. After two years, it didn't seem to be gaining any height, and the leader branch just looked terrible, so I cut it off. The rest of the branches make graceful arcs, it appears to be healthy, and it really is a beautiful tree. It is growing outward some, and the trunk gets thicker every year, but it still has not gained any height in the 4 years we have had it. It is about 2 1/2 feet tall with a five foot diameter.

I know they are not supposed to get very tall --only 6 feet at most, but it just doesn't seem to have grown upward at all.

Thanks for any help!

Sounds like a beautiful tree, you are lucky!

 

[treeseer]

You own a tree that naturally curves downward--love it for what it is. Cultivar may be misnamed; that's all it will grow, it seems, unless you select a young shoot(s) that is flexible enough to straighten and splint it to train it higher. That would probably look a lot worse than what you have now,

If you want a taller tree the best option seem to be to buy another.

 

[trimmmed]

2.5 ' x 5 ' is just about right. Vertical height comes very slowly and it helps to plant them a little higher than their surroundings to give it room to cascade.

If you really want more or faster height out of it, you need to train a new leader in.(maybe 2)

 

[trimmmed]

And I'll add that fast is a relative term

 

[nanava]

The only concern I had was that something was wrong, but it sounds like this is normal. I had seen what I thought was the same variety but quite a bit more height, so I expected it to gain more. It is probably not placed well for its height, so I may move it this fall, but otherwise I love the tree and wouldn't want to replace it. thanks for all your advice!

 

[Dixie1]

there are soooo many cultivars of Japanese Maples. What looks like a crimson queen, might be something different that is intended to grow that way. If it wasn't growing at all, you could have a problem, but it sounds like it is growing out and the trunk is thickening so, it is growing. could you post a picture?

 

[nanava]

Here are some pictures. In one, my daughter is holding a tape measure that is pulled out to 36 inches. Hope these help. Thanks so much!

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The tree looks great, not a thing to worry about. Cute kid too! Too bad you can't stop kids from growing up.

 

[DGG]

Those are cute pictures. Is the maple in competition with the bush next to it for nutrients and sunlight? If so I'd replant the bush and give the maple more room. That leader branch you whacked off may be a sign that the tree is looking for more light.

In the third picture they look too close together, but it may be just the picture.

What is the pH of the soil around the maple tree? You might have to mix in a cup or two of lime (if soil is too acidic) or "Holly-tone" (if you need higher acidity) if the soil's pH is out of range. You can get an easy tester for a couple bucks at any garden shop.

My last suggestion is to be sure the ground around the trunk is not packed so tight water and air can't penetrate (that's why they make garden hoes!). It looks open and mulched in the picture. If you think the original hole that was dug when planting the tree is too small you can take a garden trowel and gently and carefully work open it up. Just be careful not to disturb the original root structure too much.

My lousy soil is so full of clay that I have to dig extra big jumbo holes to give the poor plant a decent start.

Are there any other good looking Japanese maples in your neighborhood (I know, they all look good). You might want to go for a walk around the block, and if you see a nice Japanese maple speciman, stop and ask the homeowner about it. Most "maple" folks are very friendly and sweet and will tell you their story and give you suggestions.

http://www.freeplants.com/japanese_red_maple_trees.htm

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

The mulch is great for moderating pH.
I think people sometimes worry too much about getting plants to grow too fast. Remember, slow and steady wins the race. That's why slow growing trees like oaks live so long compared to fast growing trees like boxelder.

 

[nanava]

Thanks guys! I had been thinking of moving the maple this fall, but I think I like the idea of moving the lilac better. The lilac is somewhat big, so it just never occurred to me to move it. I don't like them together -- the lilac obscures the maple and makes it look smaller, and their colors don't go well together. I think I'd rather have a couple of medium sized rocks in the spot where the lilac is.

The suggestion of spreading out the hole a bit seems to make sense. We have a lot of clay in our soil, too,and probably didn't make the hole big enough to accomodate that when we planted.

And yeah, kids grow up WAY too fast!!! She just turned six today.

 

[Elmore]

My Two Cents

Okay...looking at the photos I would venture to say that the cultivar is 'Tamuke yama' a.k.a. 'Tamukeyama'. The leaves and leaf segments are courser than 'Crimson Queen'. Also the color is a purple-red like a 'Tamukeyama' would be. As for the dwarfing, perhaps it was grafted onto an underachieving or slow growing under stock. It happens. I see it occasionally. Here is a 'Tamukeyama' that I grafted in '97. Grafted on four upright leaders.

<img src="http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=52401&stc=1&d=1181046547"width=550>

 

[rb_in_va]

Brad, your inbox is full.

 

[DGG]

Okay...looking at the photos I would venture to say that the cultivar is 'Tamuke yama' a.k.a. 'Tamukeyama'. The leaves and leaf segments are courser than 'Crimson Queen'. Also the color is a purple-red like a 'Tamukeyama' would be. As for the dwarfing, perhaps it was grafted onto an underachieving or slow growing under stock. It happens. I see it occasionally. Here is a 'Tamukeyama' that I grafted in '97. Grafted on four upright leaders.

<img src="http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=52401&stc=1&d=1181046547"width=550>

Great looking tree! How hard was it to graft? What grafting technique did you use?

 

[Elmore]

Great looking tree! How hard was it to graft? What grafting technique did you use?

It was easy. Grafted in the summer using side-veneer grafts with polybags.