In autumn, the Japanese maple shows true cascades of bright red, orange or yellow colors when the delicate, formerly summer-green foliage turns into a wide variety of tones. The tree then sheds its leaves to go into its well-deserved winter rest. Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) is particularly popular. Just like planted specimens, Japanese maples grown in pots are also hardy, although the latter require good root protection.
Is the Japanese maple hardy in a pot and how do I protect it in winter?
The Japanese maple in the pot is hardy, but requires root protection: Place the pot in a protected, bright location, use an insulating base and wrap the pot with fleece. Only water on frost-free days and cover the substrate with spruce branches.
Japanese maple is used to cold winters
The Japanese maple originally comes from the cold mountain regions of Japan, where it is particularly widespread on the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The climate there is not entirely dissimilar to that of Central Europe: the summers are quite short and warm, while the winters are long and cold. Ergo, the Japanese maple is naturally used to winter climatic adversity and is therefore considered to be quite hardy even in our latitudes.
Protect roots in pots
While planted Japanese maples generally do not require any extra winter protection, you should protect potted specimens. Since their roots are not in solid soil, but are only shielded from the cold by a thin layer of substrate and the material of the planter, they are quite vulnerable and threaten to freeze to death in cold winters. However, this threat can be countered by
- the bucket is placed in a protected and bright location
- Ideal, for example, is a house wall or wall that gives off heat
- where drafts should be avoided
- the bucket is placed on an insulating surface (e.g. Styrofoam)
- and wrapped with a fleece or similar.
- the substrate is covered with spruce branches.
Don’t forget to water even in winter
Japanese maple should also be watered from time to time in winter, but only on frost-free days. If the substrate is frozen due to frosty temperatures, the water does not reach the roots and can also damage them further. Therefore, only water when it is comparatively mild and the weather is rather dry. No further care measures need to be taken in winter.
Tip
Japanese maples sprout relatively early, although you should protect the delicate foliage from impending late frosts in April and May, for example with a fleece cover.
