Just bought japanese maple any advise on how to look after them?
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They prefer acid type soils and fertilizers (Holly Tone is great!), and they don't like to be windblown. Give them plenty of sun and water. Do NOT use any type of insecticides on them..malathion is deadly to them.
I planted one 2 years ago and no problems, make sure there are no voids in the hole when you plant them and keep them watered during dry periods till they establish their root system, they seem pretty hardy and low maintenence.
If in the ground just water in well at time of planting and water well in dry weather. Prefer shade or semi shade.
Mostly prefer acid soil - check label.
If the latter and your garden soil is alkaline suggest you grow in a pot with erricaceous compost.
i have had one in my garden for 5 years and i just feed it every 2 or so, when i feed the rest of the garden. it looks great. the first summer you plant it do not feed it.
Location: Native to China, Korea and Japan. This lovely plant is greatly admired and is grown in temperate gardens and landscapes all over the world.
Culture: Needs a fertile, well drained, acidic soil.
Light: Partial or filtered shade is best in warmer regions. In Florida, full shade is okay. Farther north, more sun is better. The purple-leaved cultivars require full sun or their leaves will be green.
Moisture: Not drought tolerant. Japanese maple does best with regular watering.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 6 - 8. Some cultivars are hardy to zone 5B, and some can take the heat in zone 9A.
Propagation: Most Japanese maple cultivars are grafted on to special root stocks. They also can be propagated by rooting softwood cuttings in spring and summer. Japanese maple will grow from seeds, and seedlings tend to be faster growing, stronger and more drought tolerant than the cultivars and many are just as interesting. You take your chances with seeds!
Usage: This is one of the most beautiful small trees for the ornamental landscape. It is perfectly suited as a specimen tree, an accent in a mixed border, or in a container on the patio. It anchors the Japanese style garden. Many of the cultivars remain quite small and are especially useful in small gardens, even rock gardens, and for bonsai. The brilliant fall foliage lights up the garden, and the slender twigs and contorted branches provide winter interest.
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Aphids are small insects about the size of a ball point pen tip, they will occasionally be found feeding on new tender growing tips of Japanese maple trees. Aphids will change color based on the color of the plant juices, they are feeding on. Although aphids multiply quickly they seldom do much damage, unless populations become excessively heavy. Aphids can easily be controlled with many general insecticides found at your local nursery or garden center.
Spider mites are another insect that can also feed on Japanese maple trees, but are harder to detect. These tiny insects are about the size of a pin head. Spider mites reproduce rapidly during hot dry weather and live on the under sides of leaves this makes them tough to eradicate. The damage from spider mites is hard to detect by the untrained eye. If the mature leaves appear appear speckled or faded in color, I recommend checkong for spider mites by placing a white piece of paper under the leaves and tap the leaves vigorously. This method will knock the mites from the leaves and onto the paper. Next, take a very close look at the paper, spider mites will be reddish colored or light colored with two brown spots on their back. Spider mites are sucking insects and drain the leaves of vital juices needed to keep the cells turgid and alive. General insecticides will not kill spider mites a miticide must be used. Contact you local nursery or garden center, they can provide you with the necessary controls.
Slugs and snails are a potential pest that feed on the leaves. These little guys are also hard to detect because, they feed at night and hide during the day. There are chemical controls and baits that can help control slugs and snails. An aluminum pie tin filled with beer, can be set around the floor of a greenhouse or garden, this will bait and drowned them. Slugs and snails are very harmful if diseases are present, they will spread the disease from plant to plant as they are traveling agound the greenhouse or garden.
Anthracnose
This leaf blight disease affects many trees including Japanese maples. The disease is most common during warm and wet conditions. Symptoms are small rounds spots on leaves reddish purple in color. Many spots can develop into larger irregular patterns and then completely cover entire leaves. Controls include avoiding wet the foliage late in the day. Improving air circulation with fans and or controlling with chemicals from your local nursery or garden center.
Botrytis
This fungus also known as gray mold affects mostly dead or damaged plant tissue, Although, if left untreated botrytis can cause major damage to entire crops. This disease is also most aggressive in warm and wet conditions. Treatments include improving air circulation, avoiding wet conditions, pruning and properly discarding affected plant material, and chemical controls.
Fusarium
This fungus mostly creates problems in young seedlings. Damage shows up as brown or black lesions within the stem tissue at ground level. The seedlings will then start falling over. The disease can also affect other parts of the plant like stems and new buds. Control includes increasing air circulation, avoiding wet conditions and chemicals.
Verticillium
This fungus born disease is one of the most destructive diseases to affect Japanese maples as well as other plant species. Symptoms of this disease are brown or black streaks within the cambium layer of the affected limb or branch, causing death of limbs, branches or entire trees. This disease is easily spread by mechanical means like pruning with infected tools. Moderate control can best be achieved by pruning out affected plant material with sterilized pruners or clippers and burning. No known chemical control is available.
Growing Japanese maple trees from seed is one of the most common methods of propagation. The seedling trees produced are of two types, the standard green Japanese maple tree known as Acer palmatum, and the red Japanese maple tree known as Acer palmatum Atropurpureum. The green variety of Japanese maple trees are most commonly used as rootstock or understock for grafting purposes, although, they also make good landscaping trees. The red seedlings are most commonly used as landscape trees, but can also be used as rootstock for grafting.
Seedling Japanese maples trees will have varying characteristics, just as each child from the same two parents, has differences. I have grown tens of thousands of seedling Japanese maples and have noticed the differences between seedlings vary mostly between seedlings with different parents and not so much between seedlings with the same parents. So, if you desire Japanese red maple seedlings with good dark red colored leaves, finding a seed source from trees with controlled pollination between parents, seem to result in seedlings with less variation.
Japanese maple seed is often described as difficult to germinate. I find it to be quite easy if persistent and patient. Seed can remain dormant and take up to two years to germinate. This process can be hastened if proper care is given during stratification. Stratification is the process in which the seed is subjected to either a natural or artificial climatic conditions. Most often, stratification is a cold treatment and is meant to duplicate the climate conditions during the winter months. Treatments can very from 30 days to 120 days of temperatures 34 degrees to 37 degrees. Stratification can also involve warm temperatures for a certain number of days. Some seed requires a warm and cold stratification before it will germinate. As for Japanese maple seed, Seed picked in the fall should be cold stratified for 120 days, before planting. A portion of the seed will sprout immediately, while other seed will remain dormant for the entire year and sprout the next spring. Seed can be planted in ground beds or in small pots; there is no single right way. I prefer to plant in pots, but this take a lot of space and more intense care, while ground beds are more forgiving and usually produce larger trees. Japanese maple tree seedlings can grow up to 36" in one season if all growing conditions are optimum.
One more note about seedling grown Japanese Maple trees. I have seen seed being sold by the name of selected Japanese maple trees like Bloodgood, Everred, Crimson Queen, etc. These varieties will only be produced by vegatative propagation like grafting or cuttings. Seed can be collected from these trees, but the seedlings will not be exact clones of the parent plant.
Japanese red Maple leaves turn from red to green when the intensity of light is decreased.
Most if not all varieties of red leaf plants lose the red color if the leaves are in a shaded area. Our trees are grown close together to conserve water and help keep plants standing.This causes the new upper most leaves to become very red and the leaves that are shaded by other leaves to become green. Once these trees are given more space the red color comes back.
If purchasing Japanese red maple trees in peat pots from Sooner Plant Farm, follow these instructions to improve your success with our trees.
Remove trees from boxes and water throughly. Replant into larger containers as soon as possible.
Recommended shift up pot sizes
3"-6" trees repot into 4" pots
6"-12" trees repot into 4" or quart pots
12"-18" trees repot into quarts or 1 gallon pots
18"-24" trees repot into 1 or 2 gallon pots
Japanese Red Maples prefer a slightly acid soil, a well drained organic soil mix is prefered.
Incorparate into soil mix a low rate of a slow release type fertilizer.
Here is a typical soil mix that can be used. Although, many other soil mixes can be used and can also produce good results. As every grower has different growing conditions, each grower will need to develope a soil mix that works best for their location and growing techniques.
Basic Japanese maple tree growing mix
3 parts ground and composted pine bark
1 part perlite
6 lbs 18-6-12 osmocote slow release fertilizer per cubic yard of soil mix
4 lbs dolomitic lime per cubic yard of soil mix
1/2 oz of micromax minor elements per cubic yard of soil mix
Again this is a soilmix to start with, and should be adjusted based on your specific needs
Keep soil evenly moist but well draining. Trees will become darker red with increased sunlight.
Trees should become saleable
1 gallon in 1 year
2 gallon in 2 years
3 gallon in 3 years (shift 1 gallon plants into 3 gallon)
5 gallon in 3-4 years (shift 2 gallon plants into 5 gallon)
Growing Japanese maple trees from seed is one of the most common methods of propagation. The seedling trees produced are of two types, the standard green Japanese maple tree known as Acer palmatum, and the red Japanese maple tree known as Acer palmatum Atropurpureum. The green variety of Japanese maple trees are most commonly used as rootstock or understock for grafting purposes, although, they also make good landscaping trees. The red seedlings are most commonly used as landscape trees, but can also be used as rootstock for grafting.
Seedling Japanese maples trees will have varying characteristics, just as each child from the same two parents, has differences. I have grown tens of thousands of seedling Japanese maples and have noticed the differences between seedlings vary mostly between seedlings with different parents and not so much between seedlings with the same parents. So, if you desire Japanese red maple seedlings with good dark red colored leaves, finding a seed source from trees with controlled pollination between parents, seem to result in seedlings with less variation.
Japanese maple seed is often described as difficult to germinate. I find it to be quite easy if persistent and patient. Seed can remain dormant and take up to two years to germinate. This process can be hastened if proper care is given during stratification. Stratification is the process in which the seed is subjected to either a natural or artificial climatic conditions. Most often, stratification is a cold treatment and is meant to duplicate the climate conditions during the winter months. Treatments can very from 30 days to 120 days of temperatures 34 degrees to 37 degrees. Stratification can also involve warm temperatures for a certain number of days. Some seed requires a warm and cold stratification before it will germinate. As for Japanese maple seed, Seed picked in the fall should be cold stratified for 120 days, before planting. A portion of the seed will sprout immediately, while other seed will remain dormant for the entire year and sprout the next spring. Seed can be planted in ground beds or in small pots; there is no single right way. I prefer to plant in pots, but this take a lot of space and more intense care, while ground beds are more forgiving and usually produce larger trees. Japanese maple tree seedlings can grow up to 36" in one season if all growing conditions are optimum.
One more note about seedling grown Japanese Maple trees. I have seen seed being sold by the name of selected Japanese maple trees like Bloodgood, Everred, Crimson Queen, etc. These varieties will only be produced by vegatative propagation like grafting or cuttings. Seed can be collected from these trees, but the seedlings will not be exact clones of the parent plant.
Mulch around the roots in the autumn.
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