Download A Guide To Japanese Maples

Japanese Maples offer a wide range of colour, size
and habit, and their uses in the garden are endless as
specimen or accent plants, in containers, borders and
rock gardens.
With a few basic guide lines they are remarkably
adaptable to soil and climatic conditions.
Position
A
Guide To
Japanese
Maples
Green leaf types will take full sun, however in a hot
summer afternoon, shade will prevent the foliage
scorching.
Red leaf types do best in light shade part of the day, too
much shade and the leaves turn green.
Some varieties will survive more sun if other cultural
conditions are met.
Variegated and yellow leaf forms need semi-shade, or
protection from the afternoon sun.
Both sun and wind will scorch the foliage, this damage
will range from just the edge, to the whole leaf becoming
crisp and brown. Late frost will also damage the new
foliage and it should be protected (frost fleece will help
protect plants in spring). By positioning the plant out of
early morning sun this problem will be greatly reduced.
Planting
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Maples have a fibrous root system which stays in the
upper layers of the soil, they prefer an acid to neutral,
well drained soil, but can be grown alongside ponds and
streams if the root area is sufficiently drained.
When planting in sandy soils, dig in large amounts of
ericaceous compost to help retain water. In clay soils, dig
a hole larger than the root ball, but shallow so it
allows the top 5cms of the root ball to be proud of the
surface, using ericaceous compost mound up to cover the
top of the root ball. Do not cover any of the trunk, top
dress with a bark mulch, in time the roots will find the
best position without becoming waterlogged, reapply
annually.
Bark Mulch
Ericaceous Compost
Container Growing
All Maples are ideal for growing in containers and this
also enables you to grow them where the local soil
conditions are never going to allow them to grow.
Ensure that the containers have good drainage, it is always
best to raise containers up off the ground, this prolongs the
life of the container and plant by allowing water to drain
away easily.
Choose deep pots rather than shallow ones as they will not
dry out as fast in hot weather.
Mix Ericaceous compost and John Innes Ericaceous at a
ratio of 3:1, to give a good mix that will help hold
moisture.
Feeding is done with slow release pellets or a liquid
fertilizer suitable for acid loving plants.
Containers may require protection in severe winters to stop
any root damage occurring, this can be done by wrapping
the pots in straw or bubble plastic. If the container is on a
patio, the leaves may be scorched in a hot summer by heat
reflected back up from the patio surface, placing pebbles
or other planted containers around the base of the maple
will reduce this.
‘Ericaceous’ - what does it mean?
i)
Term describing plants which require
lime free soil pH 6.5 or less to grow.
ii)
Compost of correct pH to grow
ericaceous plants.
Watering
Maples need a uniform supply of moisture so that a
plant growing in an area of plentiful moisture should not
be allowed to dry out suddenly and in a dry situation
should not be flooded at irregular intervals. When a
plant is allowed to dry out for a time and is then watered
heavily or vice versa, this will cause leaf scorch. When
watering do so early morning or evening to prevent leaf
damage.
Pruning
Pruning and shaping your plant should be done from an
early age, this way the size and shape can be controlled
and the plant should never out grow its allotted space.
Removing the small twiggy growth inside a plant helps
to emphasize the beautiful structure of the plant in
winter and also allows good air movement which
reduced the risk of pest and disease.
Major pruning work needs to be done in the dormant
season before the buds open, usually late January February is best.
Shaping and training may be done any time of the year,
cut back to just above a pair of buds.
Pests & Disease
On the whole maples are fairly free of both, they
can suffer from aphids but this is easily controlled with
an insecticide spray
Scale insect has become more common over recent
years, spray the stems and under sides of leaves in mid
summer with Provado Ultimate Bug Killer.
The fungus Botrytis (grey mould) can be a problem
in wet summers, keeping good air movement through a
plant is the best way to control this. Spray early
morning or evening to avoid leaf damage.
Some of the Many!
Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’
‘Full Moon Maple’
The most popular ‘yellow leafed’ form, with fan shaped
foliage which in spring is pale yellow green becoming
darker through the season.
Light shade helps to maintain the yellow of the leaves.
Autumn colours are a spectacular range of orange, red and
gold. It has a dense shrubby habit, height and spread 2
metres in 10 years.
Acer palmatum ‘Asahi zuru’
‘The Rising Sun Maple’ has variegated leaves of white, pink
and green varying from leaves flecked pink, white and green
to entirely white leaves. New shoots are often light pink.
Vase shaped habit reaching 4 metres in 10 years.
Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’
Possibly the most popular of the purple foliage forms, it has
a very good deep red to black red colour, which holds
through the season.
Foliage is bright crimson in autumn and as the plant
matures it produces bright red seeds which add to the
autumn display. Broad upright habit reaching 3-3.5 metres in
10 years. Will stand all but the hottest spots.
Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’
One of, if not the best autumn coloured maples. The fairly
large seven lobed leaf, which is a lovely rich green most of
the season, turns an intense glowing crimson in autumn. This
is a vigorous upright growing tree, reaching 3 metres in 5
years. Its growth rate slows with age.
Acer palmatum ‘Kinshi’
The name means ‘with golden threads’ which describes the
long narrow leaves as they turn from green to their autumn
colours of orange-yellow. Its habit is a tidy, compact,
upright plant reaching about 2.5m (8ft). Stunning in a
container.
Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Inaba-shidare’
Finely cut foliage of a beautiful purple-red colour, which
holds and does not bronze later in the year. Autumn
produces brilliant purple and crimson shades, it as an
upright habit which allows the foliage and branches to
cascade beautifully. Good in sunny positions if kept
watered. Highly recommended.
Acer palmatum dissestum ‘Garnet’
A Dutch variety with finely cut foliage of rich red
orange, best grown in a sunny position to allow the
garnet colour to develop. It matures to a beautiful
cascading mound, a vigorous grower it produces a plant 1
metre high in about 5 years.
Other purple maples which do not scorch easily include:
Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Nigrum’
&
Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’
Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Viridis Group’
Finely cut brilliant green foliage, best given some
light shade to stop the tips burning. In the autumn
the foliage turns mainly to shades of yellow and gold, with
hints of purple and red. Forms a beautiful mound of
weeping foliage 80cm-1metre high and 1-1.5 metre wide in
about 5 years.
All dissectum types are ideal for pots.
Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’
This stunning cultivator was raised and introduced by
Fratelli Gilardelli, Italy in 1991. Vigorous, bushy growth
forms a small tree up to 6 metres, with the new foliage
yellow with orange edges, becoming a greener yellow in
summer turning orange - gold in autumn. Can be trimmed if
required.