QA

Quick Answer: How To Care For 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.

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.

When should I fertilize my Japanese maple tree?

Fertilizer. Japanese maples should only be fertilized after they’re a year old, or during the second growing season. The best time to fertilize is late winter or early spring. Japanese maples are naturally slow-growing trees, so stimulating rapid growth with a high-nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided.

Are Japanese maple trees easy to maintain?

Japanese maple care is easy. Caring for Japanese maples in summer is mainly a matter of providing enough water to prevent stress. Water the tree deeply in the absence of rain. Cut back on the amount of water in late summer to intensify the fall color.

Can I use Miracle Grow on Japanese maple?

As the tree grows, the amount of fertilizer will need to be increased. 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.

Can Japanese maple survive in 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.

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.

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 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.

What kills Japanese maple trees?

The most common Japanese maple diseases are caused by fungal infection. Canker can attack through bark damage. Sap oozes from the canker in the bark. A mild case of canker will resolve itself, but heavy infection will kill the tree.

What month do you prune Japanese maples?

The best time to trim most ornamental and fruit trees is during the winter months while they are dormant. For Japanese maples, it is recommended to do structural pruning in the winter and wait until late spring, after the leaves come out, for fine pruning.

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.

Why are the leaves on my Japanese maple turning brown?

Japanese maple trees are often understory trees in their native habitats. Over-exposure to sun can result in brown leaves, a phenomenon also known as “leaf scorch.”1 A hot summer can leave even established specimens that are too exposed to sun with brown leaves, especially if other debilitating factors are present.

How cold can Japanese maple survive?

Cold Tolerances Acer palmatum survives temperatures down to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit — USDA zone 6 — while Acer japonicum tolerates temperatures down to minus 20 degrees — USDA zone 5. Do not plant Japanese maples in subtropical areas where average winter lows do not regularly drop below 25 degrees.

What does a Japanese maple tree symbolize?

In Japan and abroad, the Japanese maple tree is viewed as a symbol of elegance, beauty, and grace. The turning of colors on the trees is a highly-anticipated yearly event that brings many tourists out to Japan’s national parks and temples to admire the spectacular foliage.

What can I spray on my Japanese maple for bugs?

For use as a fungicide, apply the diluted neem oil to all areas of the plant at seven-day intervals until the disease subsides. For use as an insecticide, spray the dwarf Japanese maple thoroughly when insects are present and repeat the treatment every seven to 14 days.

Why does my Japanese maple have green leaves?

The most common deficiency in Japanese maples is manganese. Some Japanese maple cultivars that normally feature red leaves can lighten and turn green if they do not receive adequate sunlight. A Japanese maple suffering from a nutrient deficiency will typically have yellow or yellow-green leaves with darker veins.

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.