August 10, 2009

Do your Japanese maples look mashed about now?

Opinions are all over the place about why Japanese maples suffer so much during Southern California summers. Some experts say it’s too hot, for too long, or not cold enough in the winter, or it could be our alkaline soil, root problems or more.

Ma Lee from Upland Nursery in Orange says the problem stems from salt from municipal water sources. She says to add one tablespoon of vinegar to a bucket of water and drench your J-maples to acidify the soil and wash salts below the root zone.

Gary Matsuoka from Laguna Hills Nursery in Lake Forest recommends moving to Oregon. But, he says for those who stay, Japanese maples grow best in sandy soils where drainage is fast. He also recommends flushing salts below the root zone once a month with a slow hose.

Rick Carrasco at Plant Depot in San Juan Capistrano agrees that salty municipal water is why our J-maples look raggedy, but he is not an advocate for flushing. His advice? Maintain a humus-rich soil with compost and peat moss and apply a cup of Epsom salts in the summer to flush out alkalines. No chemical fertilizers either.

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The Washington Post —Vegetable seeds sales are up - way up. Recession, salmonella scares and foodies drive the market.