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The best time to fertilize your maple tree is when all the leaves have fallen in the autumn. The roots of Japanese maple and other species will continue to grow in cool soil, until the temperature of the soil reaches 40-degrees F.
How do you keep maple trees healthy?
Raking up dead leaves is an easy way to support maple tree health. Pruning your maple trees regularly is a good practice. It helps trees stay healthy and live longer by promoting growth and improving their structure. Prune your maple trees in the colder months, during their dormant season.
How do you fertilize a red maple tree?
Feeding Red Maples Spread 15 pounds of 20-5-5 fertilizer per 1,000 square feet of root zone in the spring, before the tree produces new growth. Apply the fertilizer evenly across the surface of the soil.
How do you fertilize a new maple tree?
Newly planted trees respond very well to fertilization. Either granular, liquid or stake type fertilizers can be used. Granular fertilizers can be worked into the soil around the plant at a rate of 2 lbs or 2 pints per 100 square feet of planting bed.
What’s the best fertilizer for maple trees?
The best fertilizer for maple trees is one that is rich in nitrogen. You can find the ratio of the nutrients listed on the fertilizer label of a respective fertilizer. You should never use a quick-release fertilizer, but use a slow-release fertilizer such as 10-4-6 and 16-4-8.
Is Epsom salt good for maple trees?
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.
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.
Are coffee grounds good for red maple trees?
Remember that soils here are alkaline (7.5 or above) and Japanese maples prefer a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. 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.
Should I fertilize my red maple?
Fertilizer. Japanese maples should only be fertilized after they’re a year old, or during the second growing season. The best time to fertilize is late winter or early spring. Japanese maples are naturally slow-growing trees, so stimulating rapid growth with a high-nitrogen fertilizer should be avoided.
Is Miracle Grow good for maple trees?
Tip 3 I only recommend using liquid type fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® on Japanese maples during the first summer, and only to help establish the tree. Once you see good growth you can stop liquid feeding. IMPORTANT; Do not liquid feed in late fall or early spring.
Do maple trees need a lot of water?
Maple trees require around 11 gallons of water a week to stay healthy. Keep an eye out for wilting or leaf scorch (leaves browning and/or curling up), as this is a sign of drought stress. Make sure that the water is reaching at least 10 inches below the surface, properly hydrating the maple tree’s root system.
How do you encourage a maple tree to grow?
Fertilize the tree in the spring of the following growing season with a low-nitrogen, organic 4-8-5 fertilizer. Spread the fertilizer over the soil beneath the maple tree canopy drip line at a rate of 1/4 cup for each foot of height. Give it additional fertilizer each month from spring to fall.
Do you fertilize maple trees?
Maples should be fertilized once or twice a year. However, not just any fertilizer will do. In particular, fertilizers that release large amounts of Nitrogen quickly into the soil can encourage structurally weak growth that could cause problems.
How often should you water a maple tree?
Give It Enough Water Maple trees need around 11 gallons of water a week to stay healthy, but young maple trees need even more, especially in dry, hot conditions. It’s good to water your tree a few gallons every couple of days rather than a little every day.
How do you revive a dying maple tree?
High soil alkalinity and nutrient deficiencies in the tree can be corrected by adjusting the soil pH and soil enrichment with organic material. The ideal soil pH range for maple trees is between 5.5 and 7.3. It can be lowered by using organic mulch, which coincidentally, will provide nutrients to your tree.
What does Epsom salt do for trees?
The Epsom Salt Council has even stated that Epsom salt actually “helps seeds germinate, makes plants grow bushier, produces more flowers, increases chlorophyll production and deters pests, such as slugs and voles.” It’s even been used to help counteract transplant shock in trees and plants.
What causes maple leaves to drop?
Late spring leaf drop was caused by an unpredictable pest called the maple petiole borer. This leaf drop is caused by the feeding of maple petiole borers, Caulocampus acericaulis. Petiole borers are small insects called sawflies, which are non-stinging wasps.
What nutrients do maple trees need?
Maples require lots of nitrogen, which stimulates leaf and twig growth. They also need potassium and phosphorus for photosynthesis and root growth. When you’re shopping for fertilizer, look for a product formulated for trees with an N-P-K (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) ratio of 10-4-6 or 16-4-8.
