Q. My lovely, large lace-leaf Japanese maple appears not to have survived the winter. Last spring's late freeze killed most of its new leaves and it never regained its full lush. I was preparing to remove the remains when I noticed several shoots emerging from the main trunk. Is there hope? What should I do?
Give it a chance at recovery. You wouldn't replace it until next autumn anyhow. So, give it this growing season to see how these small shoots develop.
The dead wood will have to be pruned and that may result in a misshapen tree. Don't prune until you are sure it isn't going to put out more growth along those stems. Water it in dry weather.
Even with these sprouts it will take some years for the tree to recover. In the coming months, watch it and evaluate how promising the recovery appears. Think about how content you will be to watch over it and wait. This is especially important if the tree is in a visible spot where you will see it, and perhaps hurt for it, every day.
Garden centers often have very good sales on ornamentals, including Japanese maples, in late summer. If you buy a Japanese maple tree in a container in the heat of August, expect to water the pot regularly until the tree is planted.
Compost pile could use a boost
Q. The compost pile I made last fall seems to be working very slow. How can I speed it up?
Your leaves apparently did not generate enough heat to make decomposition work as fast it should. Thin layers of leaves tend to make cold compost, which can take several years.
I suspect you just have leaves in your pile or bin. They need some help to pep up the microorganisms that do the work of decomposition.
Add nitrogen, which comes from grass clippings or other green matter or even a dusting of garden fertilizer; air, which comes from stirring the bin every month or so, and enough water to keep the materials damp but not soggy.
