Earthly Garden

In order to add a Japanese Maple to your own yard you have to match the tree to your garden and what your garden is “saying”. They can border a small garden, edge plants along the lawn or next to a path or driveway even. They can also be a great addition to a ponds edges or small fish ponds as well. They normally are full of color in the fall but, be sure and position them so they can be enjoyed no matter what time of year it is.

They need full sun, and partial shade in hot climates. Slightly acid soil that will drain freely and avoid extreme wetness and dryness. Most Japanese maples are hardy in Zones 6 to 8, some to Zone 5. They are not really recommended for Zone 4 and colder or Zone 9 and warmer.

Leaf types and colors:

1. Feather: Describes leaf lobes that are deeply divide, with deeply dissected sub lobes.

2. Serrated: Describes variously divided or lobed leaves having toothed edges.

3. Narrow: Describes lobes that are divided to the leaf base. Leaf colors include green, red, yellow, orange, copper, gold, and even bronze. Some are variegated while and pink. Too much shade may produce dull colorings though, but too much sun can fade the leaves and at times burn them.

Tips for proper planting in the ground: Select the side of the tree you want to feature. Position so the top if the root ball is level or slightly above the surrounding soil. Mulch lightly, keeping mulch away from the trunk. Water thoroughly, especially before the ground freezes. Keep the root area moist all through the growing season. So don’t prune the first year and the year after prune then in the spring and selectively remove branches to enhance the sculptural shape, but do not tip prune the tree.

Tips for proper planting in a container: Select a pot with a diameter half the height of the tree. Position the root ball at the same level it previously grew; fill in with potting mix. Water and fertilize the same as any container plant. In winter, keep the tree moist and cool in a garage or basement. To ensure that you get what you want, buy a plant grown from a graft, which will produce a tree that is a copy of the parent. Grafted plants are always named for example: ‘Orange Dream’ or even ‘Bloodgood’.