It seems this season won't be memorable for me. I've for the third season a lovely young AP Ukigumo among others in my garden. Usually he wakes up with some great variegated white palmatum leaves in spring, but this year they all came out twisted and deeply cut, as you can see below. I haven't changed anything to its cultivation habits –he was replanted it in early spring 2009 in a new soil made of small bark chips (70%), coconut peat (20%), rock dust & sphagnum (10%). I fertilize it very carefully as you can see the leaves remain mainly white in spring. The exposition is in full shade all day. Do you think he's having some kind of stress or it is just one off and the leaves will come back to a palmatum type next year? I've never experienced such drastic change with my maples. Thank you for your advices. FredericB
That is what Ukigumo should look like for me. The green hues should creep in through the season and become more palmate in shape.