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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.
What is the best fertilizer for Japanese maple trees?
I recommend using a slow or controlled release type fertilizer. Commercially known as Polyon or Osmocote, these are the most common and both work very well on Japanese maples. We use both successfully in our Japanese maple production.
Are Japanese maples hard to maintain?
While they have a reputation for being fussy, if you plant them in their preferred condition, they are really not that difficult to care for, although they are slow-growing so you’ll need to have a bit of patience. The size of the Japanese maple differs by cultivar. It can range from a shrub to a small tree.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Are coffee grounds good for maple trees?
Soil and water are the two most important factors for maintaining healthy Japanese maples. So maintain a humus-rich soil by applying coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are free at Starbucks. For a 4-foot-tall Japanese maple, I recommend applying 4 pounds of coffee grounds per tree per season.
What kills a maple tree?
Verticillium Wilt – Also called maple wilt, this fungus is a common and serious problem that can kill trees. This infection starts in the root system and works its way up the maple tree, resulting in cankers and dieback.
Do you prune Japanese maples?
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. Summer can also be a good time for removing larger branches and for removing dead, damaged, or diseased wood.
Should I cover my Japanese maple?
Exposed tender new growth is susceptible to frost and freeze damage in spring. Therefore, cover a small Japanese maple overnight to shield it from excess cold. An old bed sheet or frost cloth can prevent brief subfreezing temperatures from killing the new foliage and stressing the tree.
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.
Is my Japanese maple dying?
Japanese maples lose their leaves every fall, so they will appear to be dead until spring when new growth appears. If the tree is still leafless in June after several weeks of spring, it is most likely dead and can be removed.
How do you treat a sick Japanese maple tree?
Verticillium Wilt is caused by a soil borne fungi but usually attacks plants that have been stressed by other things. Drought, frost, or wet soil. There’s really nothing you can do to treat your Japanese maples to prevent this disease and there’s nothing you can apply once they have it.
What’s wrong with my Japanese maple?
Japanese maple is susceptible to a number of leaf spot diseases that may disfigure leaves and cause early defoliation. The major foliar diseases are anthracnose, Phyllosticta leaf spot and Pseudomonas tip blight. There are several insects that may attack Japanese maples. Leaf feeders include the Japanese beetle.
