Method to find least windy part of garden?

joconnell

Heya Folks!

I got myself an acer maple during the summer which is in a pot in a corner of my garden - it's lost all but 3 of its leaves at this stage (which apparently is normal enough for them?) in the wind that's around at the minute - I think it swirls around the garden quite a bit. Is there any method that people use to try and find the most sheltered place in a garden? I've got a rectangular shaped garden with probably 5 / 6 feet walls and no major sculptural features or big bushes / trees to act as wind breaks - the walls at the sides are bedded with big shaped shrubs and phormiums. The acer could well come back happily in spring - the leaves that came off it are totally healthy so it looks like it was the wind that carried them off, just trying to take the best care of it I can

Cheers,

John

muggyog

Just make a simple anemometer or simple wind sock. Not exactly high tech but will give a good indication of the wind pattern.

Discodog

Seeing where the leaves end up is often a good indication of swirls & eddies. But remember that the wind direction changes. Can you not plant it in a corner so that it is protected on two sides ?

joconnell

It's sitting in one at the minute - in a corner with a large window and the wall to next door. I'll give the sock a go!

The Sweeper

Acer palmatum, or japanese maple, is deciduous so yes, losing its leaves at this time of year isn't a problem. Depending on the variety, some are a little hardier than others - but not by much in my own experience. If you have a dwarf version with a weeping habit, for instance, that's a beautiful tree, but you want a sheltered spot for it definitely. If the tree you have is in a corner with a wall on one side and a window on the other then it should overwinter there quite happily.

If it's a dwarf, keep it in the pot - that way you can move it around as the seasons change if needs be. They don't like full, strong sunlight (certainly not on a hot day - you'd get away with it in Ireland I think, up to about 20-22 degrees).

The tree will bud and come into leaf in the spring again - what colour are the leaves, is it a red variety, or a green that changes to red in autumn?

I've got a japanese maple myself but can't identify the variety - which is a problem because there's quite a range of sizes in there... Will have to get the books out and try to figure out which one it is. I think it may be just straight up acer palmatum, so growing up to 8metres! Just snapped it up two years at a garden centre, because I recognised the species in spite of it being sickly at the time, and it was a steal on special at $10. The only thing the label said was 'acer palmatum'. Gave it a bit of love and care, and it's healthy now - but now I'm worried I have a potential 20ft tree in a pot...

joconnell

Cheers for the info! It's a red acer palmatum, about 2.5 feet high now and in about a 25cm pot so it can easily be moved and it's in a fairly sheltered side (or so I thought). I've a tiny little green one in a pot on my desk inside too which is lovely - I reckon I don't give the house plants enough fresh air though. Do any of you put them outside for a few hours every now and then?

The Sweeper

No - you don't want to climate change your houseplants like that! There's a big difference between climate indoors and outdoors - and movement can cause shock in the plant, resulting in leaf loss. The one way they can fall down a bit indoors is that you can't underestimate the effect of 'foliar feeding', or the nutrients and elements that plants absorb through their leaves. A spray bottle filled with clean water for a bit of a mist now and again helps them thrive indoors - assuming you're not feeling game enough to wrestle them into the bath. (I used to have a dracaena that I put in the bath for a thorough soaking with the shower head every now and again, and it flourished).

Remember to feed your indoor houseplants now and again with a suitable fertiliser - the potting soil they're in is good for about a year before it'll need a boost.