QA

Question: How To Care For A Japanese Maple

Japanese Maples need: Dappled or afternoon shade, especially when young. Protection from strong wind. Well-drained, consistently moist soil, neither excessively wet nor dry. Protection from late spring frosts, especially when young.

How do you take care of a Japanese maple tree?

Quick tips… Keep plants moist and in the shade until planting. Soil preparation with organic matter is important, especially if the soil is heavy clay. Mulch with 6 inches after planting to reduce the need for frequent watering and protection of their shallow roots. Keep pruning of newly planted trees to a minimum.

How do I keep my Japanese maple healthy?

Keep Japanese Maple Healthy in Summer Keep them moist – don’t forget to keep the soil damp, with mulch and regular watering. Give them afternoon shade – when planting your tree, arrange for afternoon shade in summer. Choose a suitable variety – some forms resist burning better than others.

Are Japanese maples hard to maintain?

While they have a reputation for being fussy, if you plant them in their preferred condition, they are really not that difficult to care for, although they are slow-growing so you’ll need to have a bit of patience. The size of the Japanese maple differs by cultivar. It can range from a shrub to a small tree.

Do Japanese maples like sun or shade?

Ideally, they should be placed in a spot with dappled shade. Japanese maple foliage is prone to leaf scorch in hot and dry locations in full sun. Scorched leaves develop brown margins and often drop from the tree by mid to late summer.

Can a Japanese maple take full sun?

All Japanese maples are tolerant of part shade conditions. Like Dogwoods and Redbuds, they evolved to grow happily at the edge of the forest as small trees. Their undeniable beauty leads many people to want to plant them as a focal point or specimen tree, often in full sun.

Can I use Miracle Grow on Japanese maple?

Tip 3 I only recommend using liquid type fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® on Japanese maples during the first summer, and only to help establish the tree. Once you see good growth you can stop liquid feeding. IMPORTANT; Do not liquid feed in late fall or early spring.

How do you rejuvenate a Japanese maple tree?

Your Japanese maple may be dying from root rot, or “wet feet.” Amend the soil by digging in one part peat and one part sand to one part topsoil until the soil drains well when you pour water on it. Cultivate the soil with a garden spade to keep it loose and aerated.

Is Epsom salt good for Japanese maples?

Epsom salts also appear to help Japanese maples struggling through the summer season. A few tablespoons of Epsom salts to a gallon of water used as a drench helps reduce lime buildup and lowers alkalinity and the salt levels of our soil.

How long do Japanese maples live?

GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT Japanese maples typically grow just one to two feet per year (which is why it might be wise to buy the largest one you can afford). That said, under the right conditions, they can live to be over one hundred years old.

Should I cover my Japanese maple?

Exposed tender new growth is susceptible to frost and freeze damage in spring. Therefore, cover a small Japanese maple overnight to shield it from excess cold. An old bed sheet or frost cloth can prevent brief subfreezing temperatures from killing the new foliage and stressing the tree.

How often should a Japanese maple be watered?

Plan to water heavily twice a week during normal weather and three or even four times weekly in periods of drought. Whether your tree is young or mature, it will grow best in soil kept consistently moist by regular watering and mulching.

Can Japanese maple grow indoors?

Although Japanese maples trees can be large, they can be grown indoors in containers and often used used in the art of bonsai. Once you accomplish these two feats, you will be able to enjoy Japanese maple trees inside as easily as you do outside your home.

How do I know what kind of Japanese maple I have?

Japanese maples are identified by their rounded crown, palmately lobed leaves, and magnificent fall colors. Japanese maples can grow between 20 and 30 ft. (6 – 10 m); however, dwarf Japanese maples reach between 4 and 8 ft. (1.2 – 2.4 m).

How do I know if my Japanese maple is dying?

Cut a small sliver of bark from the individual limb that appears dead with a knife, or from the trunk of the tree if the whole tree is in decline. If the wood under the bark is tinged green, the tissue is still alive and will likely recover. If the wood is tan or dry, that part of the tree is dead.

Why are my Japanese maple leaves curling?

Lack of water, sunburn, temperature stress, disease, or pests are the main causes of maple leaves curling, including Japanese maple. To fix leaf curl, water the maple when the surface is 1.5 to 2 inches dry, provide partial shade for Japanese maple. Also spray the leaves with Neem oil and fungicide.

What is the reddest Japanese maple?

Acer Palmatum Osakazuki gives the reddest colour of all the Acers.

Do Japanese maples lose their leaves in winter?

Yes! Japanese maples are deciduous trees. During October and November maples provide a lovely show of fall color. Then in late November, or December, the leaves drop. In the winter, branches of maples are clearly visible without the distraction (albeit a lovely one) of leaves.

What Japanese maples are weeping?

The scientific name of Japanese weeping maples is Acer palmatum var. dissectum, of which there are several cultivars. The weeping variety is both delicate and supple, bearing the lacy leaves on branches that bend gracefully toward the ground.