The Japanese maple originally comes from the cold and mountainous islands of Japan, but is also enjoying growing popularity as a garden and container plant in our latitudes due to its delicate growth and the distinctive coloring of its leaves. With the right care, the wonderful foliage color develops particularly intensively.
How do you properly care for a red Japanese maple?
When caring for the red Japanese maple it is important: water regularly without waterlogging, use natural fertilizer, careful pruning in late summer or autumn, location sunny and protected. Watch out for verticillium wilt and mildew, and give young specimens winter protection.
How often should red Japanese maple be watered?
Like so many maples, the Japanese maple is quite demanding when it comes to its water requirements: Although the pretty tree absolutely cannot tolerate waterlogging - which is why the substrate should be as permeable as possible - the shallow-rooted tree often finds it difficult, especially in the warm summer days. to provide yourself with enough of the precious water. Therefore, on dry days, water both in the morning and in the evening. In addition, young and freshly planted specimens also need regular watering. Watering is also carried out in winter – less frequently but regularly.
How and with what is the best way to fertilize the Japanese Japanese maple?
The red Japanese maple also needs a lot of nutrients and should therefore be reliably supplied with fertilizer. Natural fertilizer is best suited for this, for example in the form of mature compost. When planting, enrich the substrate with compost so that further fertilization can be avoided this season. From the second year onwards, you can finally look after the tree twice a year - once at the beginning of the growing season and once in early summer. A Japanese maple tree in a pot is best given a liquid fertilizer (for example a special maple fertilizer (€29.00 on Amazon)) every four weeks.
Can you cut Japanese maple?
Like all maples, red Japanese maple tends to bleed heavily when pruned and also causes pruned branches to die completely. For this reason, the tree should only be cut back carefully, although if possible you should not cut into the living wood. The cut is best done in late summer or autumn, as the bleeding tendency is then less pronounced due to the reduced sap pressure.
What typical diseases and pests should you watch out for in the red Japanese maple?
Red Japanese maple - like so many maples - is unfortunately very susceptible to the dreaded verticillium wilt as well as mildew.
Is the Japanese maple hardy?
Since the Japanese maple itself comes from a rather cold climate zone, it is quite hardy even in our latitudes. Only potted maples and young specimens require light winter protection.
Tip
For the brightest possible autumn colors, the red Japanese maple needs a sunny and protected location. However, this does not apply to all species, as some maples are extremely sensitive to light.
