Japanese Maples MenuTypes, color, pruning and more
‘ Fireglow ’ among hostas , conifers , and white - bloom foxglove . photograph by : Richard Bloom .
For healthy , durable , long - lived Nipponese maple , expert advise moderation in all maintenance . As Matt Nichols ofMrMaple.comsays , “ The number one thing masses do wrong with Japanese maple is they over - have a go at it them . ” So every clock time you get the urge to bestow voluminous tending on your maples , consider these maple mantras .
Deliver drainage.
Nipponese maples perfectly must have it . So use loose soil . Or , if you live in an domain with heavy Lucius DuBignon Clay , institute the root ballock slightly lift . In cosmopolitan , plant them slenderly raised , and dead forefend planting them cryptical .
Watch the water.
inordinate water system can be a death knell for maple . Water well at planting time and evenly thereafter . Do not punctuate maples by allowing the rootzone to be parch or waterlogged .
Forego fertilizer.
Low N plant food in fountain is fine ( nitrogen number 15 or lower ) , but blockade after May or you will impede good nightfall color and wintertime toughness .
Beware the weed eater.
Tim Nichols ( also ofMrMaple.com ) calls this a common Japanese maple sea wolf , 2nd only to overwatering . On established Tree , cautiously remove turfgrass and replace with about an in of composted bark mulch ( avoiding the tree trunk ) or little groundcover plant .
Prune passively.
Nipponese maples do not require regular or aggressive pruning , so whether or not you prune depends on your aesthetic goal . For an airy expression , thin out branches over clock time ; for a tree canopy shape , slay a few lower limbs . To thin out the tree ’s sizing , prune in late July ; to generate growing and increase size , prune in give . But Nipponese maples will create their own naturally beautiful forms with no pruning at all .
This fillip substance accompanies “ Maples for All Seasons”-an article all about the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that presents many options in size , form , leaf configuration and color — in the Autumn 2016 issue of Garden Design magazine publisher .
Nipponese Maples for Fall ColorMaple Garden in Ohio
