By Mrssmithey
United Kingdom 
ACER PLATANOIDES 'DRUMMONDII' Variegated Maple, long green shoots problem. My husband waters all the bedding plants regularly and once a week they get a dose of Miracle grow via a hosepipe attachment as well. My concern is about a 23 year old varigated Acer that gets a weekly dose too due to being in the centre of a flower bed. Every summer it puts out long straight new green shoots with leaves, almost vertically about 6 foot long. The bark is smooth and new and they remind me of suckers on a rose bush. I prune them off in early spring. Could this be due to the watering with miracle grow of the bedding plants around it's base? I've asked my husband not to fertilise that flower bed for one summer so that we can compare, but he won't agree as he says the bedding plants need regular feed.
24 Jul, 2011
I use the little balls of slow release fertilizer then you don't have to feed all summer, you can be selective where you put them to ensure the tree isn't over fed,the dark green shoots are stronger than the variegated ( as in all plants) and will take over the tree if left
24 Jul, 2011