Your tree will wait patiently until spring to begin settling into its new home!Īfter planting, lay down 3 inches of mulch around the tree and keep it well watered until winter. But if you find yourself planting late, don't worry. Ideally, you should plant at least a month before the ground freezes, so it has time for some root growth before winter. You will be amazed at the difference this makes.Īutumn is the best time to plant a Japanese Maple. Of course, do not let it dry out completely, but cut back so that it stops producing more green leaves and begins its fabulous color changes. To encourage the most spectacular color show in fall, reduce the amount of water you give your Maple in late summer and early autumn. A 3-inch layer of shredded bark around the entire root zone of the tree (but not touching the trunk) works well in all seasons. Whether your tree is young or mature, it will grow best in soil kept consistently moist by regular watering and mulching. Plan to water heavily twice a week during normal weather and three or even four times weekly in periods of drought. These trees are quite drought-tolerant when mature, but like most young trees, they need regular deep waterings during the first few years. Composted matter not only adds valuable nutrients to the soil, it tends to retain moisture, which Japanese Maple love. Before planting, work as much compost as you like into the soil around the tree, and keep adding it during spring and early summer.
Japanese Maple are greedy feeders, especially when young. (Salt spray is another matter they have quite a good tolerance for that.) If your soil is high in salt, consider growing your Maple in a container. Japanese Maple tolerate heavy clays, loose sands, and everything in between, but they do not like salt soils. Your Japanese Maple will be very forgiving-but cut a very wide and deep hole around it and leave as much soil clinging to its roots as you can when you dig it up. The best time to move the tree is in late summer or early fall, at least a month before the ground freezes. Location is one of the most important factors in growing this tree successfully, so a bit of trial-and-error may be in order. If after a year or two your Japanese Maple does not seem ideally situated in your garden, don't be afraid to dig up it up and move it. (But this could also be an indication of overwatering in late summer and early fall, which will cause the tree to keep producing new green leaves in autumn instead of changing colors as it should.) If the fall foliage isn't nearly as dramatic as expected, it may be getting too much shade. If you notice its leaves scorching during the summer, it's probably overexposed to sun. It does need some sun for best foliage color, but the amount you give it can vary greatly.
#Waterfall japanese maple winter full#
Inherently an elegant tree, in the modern garden Japanese Maple may find themselves among shade-loving perennials or even cheery annuals-and why not? They are superb season-extenders for all summer-interest plantings, and offer much-needed dappled shade to understory plantings three seasons of the year.īelow is a brief overview of the ideal conditions for growing Japanese Maple, followed by some detailed recommendations.ĭappled or Afternoon Shade - A mature Japanese Maple thrives in full sun everywhere but the southernmost portions of its hardiness range, but is also happy with a bit more shade. These offer a moveable display of color on a miniature scale, their exquisitely divided foliage available for close inspection. Many varieties of Japanese Maple are dwarf enough to be grown in containers and even as bonsai. And in a large planting along a walk, driveway, or slope, it creates a ribbon of color brighter and more attractive than the most beautiful lights. As an accent in the border, it draws the eye to its blazing canopy of color, enlivening an area that might otherwise be dull in autumn. As a solitary specimen it is breathtaking, its fall foliage remaining for weeks, then falling into a brilliant pool of crimson, orange, or gold on the garden floor.
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