Don & Nancy, Thank you for your replies. Sorry for the delay in MY reply – my new computer had to go back into the shop.  I will watch them this season and as you said, cut back where needed, though that won’t leave much.  I’m sorry to hear that both of you lost some good plants.  It’s just been tough all around.  We’re going down to below freezing here tonight so I covered my tomato plants with a frost blanket.  I thought I was done with that!

Kitty

No, please do not cut them down.  Wait until you are sure all parts of the limbs are dead and cut back to living tissue.  They will come back...hope so anyway.  Mine do but other plants are just dead here.  At least we now know that Buddleias will not be that invasive here but I still deadhead them anyway.
Nancy

Kitty,

While I’m no expert on the hardiness of the Japanese maples, this past  winter has certainly been hard on many of my woody plants.  I’ve believe I’ve completely lost a nice Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Silver King’, both of my witch hazels had minimal bloom and even my variegated forsythia has almost no flowers.  I’m still waiting for other to show “proof of life”.


-- Don Martinson
   Milwaukee, WI

"If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener."

   ~J. C. Raulston




On 5/11/14, 2:39 PM, "Kitty Morrissy" <1018@rewrite.hort.net> wrote:

I have 2 upright varieties of Acer palmatum:  Orido Nishiki &Murasaki Kyohime, purchased about 15 yrs ago. They are now about 8 to 11 feet tall. They are positioned in a well protected spot and have always performed well until this year. They look nearly dead though there are leaves here and there.  Is this the end for them or should I hold out awhile longer?  
 
The other two Japanese maples are cascading types, A. shirasawanum ‘Autumn Moon’ and A. palmatum var. dissectum 'Orangeola'.  These are not quite as well protected but doing better. Autumn Moon is breaking out of its sleep slowly, but overall looks ok.  Orangeola lost the whole bottom of its skirt; it no longer grazes the ground, but that’ll grow back and the rest has been filling out nicely.
 
It really was a rough winter all around but I’m really surprised at the two A.p. varieties.  Should I cut them down?
 
Kitty
neIN Zone 5