Description
Our Japanese Maple is a seed grown variety. Japanese Maple can be large shrubs or small trees and they tend to leaf out early, so they may be injured by spring frosts. There are very few diseases that affect this maple. The average size of a mature Japanese Maple is between 15-25′. Some of the lace leaf varieties of Japanese Maple only grow to 7′.
Protect Japanese Maple from drying winds and direct sun and provide well-drained, acid soil with plenty of organic matter, particularly in the southern part of its range. Japanese Maple leaves often scorch in hot summer weather in hardiness zones 7b and 8, unless they are in some shade or irrigated during dry weather. More direct sun can be tolerated in the northern part of the range. In the far north it is best to plant Japanese Maples on the South-east side of a structure to protect it from the cold winter winds. Good drainage is important, so don’t allow water to stand around the roots. Japanese Maple grow fine on clay soils as long as the ground is sloped so water does not accumulate in the soil. Responds well to several inches of mulch placed beneath the canopy but remove mulch before winter to keep the mice away. This Japanese Maple makes an excellent bonsai tree and rootstock for grafting.
Be sure to clear all the grass away from beneath the branches to reduce competition. Train the trunks and branches on Japanese Maple so they will not touch each other. Eliminate or remove some secondary branches on main branches with included bark or those which are likely to develop it as soon as possible. This reduces the likelihood of one splitting from the tree later when it has grown to become an important part of the landscape. Locate the tree properly, taking into account the ultimate size since the tree looks best if it is not pruned to control size. A Japanese Maple can enhance any landscape with its delightful spring flush of foliage. It can be the centerpiece of your landscape if properly located.
