Japanese maple, red and Japanese maple

No tree species demonstrates the alternation between growth and decay more spectacularly than the deciduous maple with brilliant autumn colors. The top-class among the diverse species are Japanese maple as well as red and Japanese maple with magnificent varieties. From the dwarfish 'Shaina' for pot culture to the majestic 'Ornatum' as a solitaire, the perfect Acer is available for every design wish. Home gardeners appreciate that the diverse varieties pull together when it comes to care. The following care instructions can therefore be used for all Asian maple trees with slit decorative leaves.

Location

Choosing a conducive location plays a central role in successful cultivation. Since the Japanese maple and its conspecifics are characterized by a high degree of flexibility, you have a wide range of location options at your disposal.

The ideal location should be like this:

• Sunny to partially shaded position
• Beyond shady trees or walls
• Preferably warm and sheltered from the wind

Although the maple genus does not belong to the natural inventory of our region, the trees are so robust that they easily adapt to the Central European climate. A sunny northern location is therefore just as acceptable as a sun-exposed southern orientation. In order for the foliage to undergo the spectacular transformation in autumn with the desired intensity, the location should be in full sun at this time of year.

soil conditions and substrate

In their Asian habitats, maple trees primarily choose a site with loose, permeable forest soil up to an altitude of 800 meters. A garden soil with the following properties meets the requirements for vital and healthy growth:

• Deep, nutrient-rich soil
• Fresh, moist, well drained, without waterlogging
• Ideally slightly acidic, neutral to slightly calcareous

For the cultivation of dwarf varieties in tubs, we recommend a structurally stable tub plant soil that is made more permeable with fine grit or quartz sand. The addition of leaf compost optimizes the nutrient content, as maple varieties that remain small grow very slowly and remain in the substrate for a correspondingly long time. To improve stability, add a few handfuls of loamy garden soil, which is particularly useful in wind-exposed locations.

planting time

As immigrant shrubs, young maple trees are not completely hardy immediately after planting. Therefore, spring has emerged as the best planting time. The young trees have a month-long acclimatization phase before the first frost, so that they are well prepared for the winter. Autumn can only be considered as a planting time in wine-growing regions with mild winters.

Plant

On the chosen date for planting Japanese maple, red maple or Japanese maple, the soil should be completely thawed. Delayed ground frosts must not be announced, otherwise the shallow root system of young trees could suffer frost damage.
How to properly plant a self-grown or ready-made maple:

• Place the potted root ball in water until no more air bubbles rise
• Meanwhile, dig a planting pit twice the size of the root ball
• Fill in pebbles or grit on the sole as drainage against waterlogging
• Enrich the excavation with leaf compost, fine chippings and horn shavings

Place the now stuffed maple in the center of the pit. Drive a wooden post into the ground next to the root ball so that you can later tie the trunk to it to protect it from windthrow. While a helping hand holds the tree in place, fill in the enriched soil. The surface of the root disc should end up just below ground level. Tamp down the soil and water thoroughly.

Planting in the tub is similar, with an air and water-permeable fleece placed between the drainage and the substrate. In this case, you can do without a support rod. It is important to note that at the end you water the root ball until the water runs out at the bottom.

Pour

With increasing age, the need for watering of your Japanese maple and its numerous conspecifics decreases. Immediately after planting and in the first three to four years, the rooting has not progressed so far that a young maple can do without additional watering. This applies in particular during dry summer periods and when there are frosts in winter.
How to water correctly:

• Water regularly and plentifully in the first 6 weeks after planting, without waterlogging
• During the first 4 years, water whenever the soil has dried to a depth of 2 cm
• During summer drought, run the water hose for 20 to 30 minutes twice a week
• Always allow irrigation water to flow directly onto the root disk

While normal rainfall covers the water requirements of well-rooted, adult maple trees, dwarf maples in buckets can never do without regular watering. Due to the exposed location of the root ball and the small volume of substrate, the soil dries out quickly. Therefore, check at least once a week with a thumb test whether the potting soil has dried out. Let the water flow out of the jug spout until the coaster fills up. After 10 minutes, please pour out the coaster so that no waterlogging forms.

Fertilize

The nutrient supply only requires your attention at the beginning of the gardening season. In May or June you can stimulate the growth of your maple with a slow-release fertilizer. A long-term fertilizer with a depot effect is well suited. Scatter the granules on the root disc and pour more. Please avoid working in the fertilizer with the rake. All maple species thrive as shallow roots, with the vital fine root system located just below the surface of the earth. By sprinkling the fertilizer, the nutrients get to the roots without damaging the roots with a rake.

Cut

Japanese maples as well as red and Japanese maples are naturally blessed with a perfectly shaped growth habit that can hardly be improved by pruning. Since this tree species is not well tolerated by pruning anyway, the topic of pruning is rarely on the care program. In order to regulate growth in beds and tubs or to free the crown from ballast, it can still be useful to use scissors.
How to proceed professionally:

• Shorten shoots that are too long in summer
• Position the scissors a short distance from a sleeping eye
• Cut off dead branches on astring

Please do not cut into the old wood. As a rule, a maple does not sprout again at this point. As garden practice has shown, a pruning date in autumn and winter is disadvantageous for a maple. In the middle of the summer growing season, the cuts close more quickly, so that diseases and pests have less space to attack.

Overwinter in the bed

Thanks to their adaptability, adult maple trees are fully hardy. This frost tolerance only gradually builds up over the course of the first 4 to 5 years. Along the way, the following protective measures ensure that a young Japanese maple, red maple or Japanese maple survives the hardships of the cold season:

• Spread a thick layer of leaves on the root disc before the onset of winter
• Stick brushwood around the young tree as a windbreak
• Alternatively, protect the young tree with a reed mat

If the winter weather is characterized by frost, with no snow and the sun is shining, maple trees are threatened by drought stress. Therefore, on mild days, water young and adult specimens alike.

Hibernation in bucket

In the bucket, your maple's root ball is in a vulnerable position to frost and cold wind. A more extensive strategy is required here so that the Asiatic woody does not take any damage.
How to do it right:

• Spend maple in a bucket in front of a protective house wall
• Place the pot on a wooden or styrofoam stand
• Wrap with bubble wrap
• Pull a coconut mat over the foil that protrudes the edge of the pot by a few centimetres

Please place pots with a diameter of less than 30 cm in bright winter quarters. At 2 to 5 degrees Celsius, water only enough to keep the soil from drying out. As soon as there are no longer any fears of frosty nights, the maple will move to its traditional location in the open air.

diseases and pests

If you plant and care for your Japanese maple, red maple and Japanese maple according to these instructions, diseases and pests will not cause you any headaches. The tree's defenses suffer in soil that is too dry, wet or poor, so that pathogens have an easy time. We have summarized the most common problems with tips for poison-free combat for you below:

mildew

If the soil is too dry and there is a summer drought, the fungal infection powdery mildew comes into play. The infestation can be recognized by mealy-grey to mealy-white spots on the leaves. Cut off all affected leaves. In the early stages, there is no need to use chemical fungicides. A mix of one eighth of a liter of fresh milk and one liter of water has proven to be an effective means of combating it. Spray the diseased maple once a week until no white coating appears.

Verticillium wilt

Wet soil and waterlogging cause another fungal disease. The maple is one of the most important host plants for the dreaded Verticillium wilt. The first symptoms of infection are pale green leaves that wilt, even though you water regularly. Effective fungicides are not yet available. Cut out diseased branches and optimize site conditions to strengthen the tree's defences. If the pathogens have not yet completely colonized the pathways, the self-healing powers of the tree can be activated and the disease cured from within.

aphids

A Japanese maple that has been weakened by a lack of nutrients cannot resist an attack by aphids. The same goes for red and fan maples. The sucking pests are particularly popular in July and August. Therefore, examine the upper and lower sides of the leaves regularly to spot the green, brown, white or reddish lice in good time. It has been proven that the classic soap solution is just as effective in combating it as chemical insecticides.
How to do it:

• Bring a liter of water to a boil
• Dissolve 50 grams of pure curd soap in it
• Pour the cooled solution into a hand or pressure sprayer

Treat the entire foliage of the infested maple, tops and bottoms. Since home remedies are rarely successful after a single application, repeat the soapy water treatment at intervals of two to three days. Please note that commercially available soap products are not suitable for this purpose. Your Japanese maple is aphid-free only when you can no longer discover any aphids even with a magnifying glass.

Conclusion

With their multifaceted and shapely varieties, Japanese maple, red maple and Japanese maple are predestined to be house trees for small and large gardens. In order to enjoy the decorative foliage structures and a furious autumn colour, the Asian ornamental trees require little effort from their gardener for care. Planted in spring in a sunny to partially shaded location in humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil, the young trees feel very welcome in the garden. In the first few years in the summertime there is plenty of watering, whereas adult maple trees are content with the rainfall. The nutrient requirement is covered with a start fertilization in spring. Their naturally beautiful habit does not require an annual shape and maintenance cut. With an increased amount of work, maple trees only make themselves felt when their magnificent foliage falls to the ground before winter and has to be disposed of.

Learn more about deciduous trees in the garden