The shapely leaves and picturesque autumn colors not only showcase maples as majestic trees. The wide range of beautiful species provides the ideal candidate for a magnificent maple hedge. This guide answers all important questions about planting and care.
How do I plant and care for a maple hedge?
For a magnificent maple hedge, the field maple is the ideal hedge plant, thanks to its shrub-like growth and good pruning tolerance. Plant in autumn, pay attention to planting depth, water and fertilize regularly, and prune several times a year.
Which type of maple is suitable as a hedge plant?
The diverse genus of maples gives us the ideal hedge plant, the field maple. The little brother of sycamore maple and Norway maple is characterized by a shrub-like, compact growth and good-natured pruning tolerance.
What should you pay attention to when planting?
The best time to plant a maple hedge is in autumn. At this time of year you can also purchase field maple as an inexpensive root crop and plant it as long as it doesn't freeze. The following overview summarizes all the important key points for skillful planting:
- Sunny to partially shaded location with normal garden soil
- Plant young plants along a guide line in the soil enriched with compost
- Tamp down the soil and water generously
The previous planting depth is maintained as precisely as possible so as not to affect the rooting. It is an advantage if you place the roots in water beforehand until no more air bubbles appear.
What care gives the maple hedge the finishing touch?
Professional pruning is the mainstay of the care program for a maple hedge. The annual growth of 30 to 50 cm requires repeated use of the hedge trimmer (€24.00 on Amazon) to maintain a well-groomed appearance. In contrast to its counterparts, the choice of timing and pruning are less delicate for field maple. How to properly trim and care for a maple hedge:
- Recommended cutting dates: in autumn, between the end of January and the beginning of March and in June/July
- The first step is to thin out the hedge thoroughly
- Short branches growing out of the mold to the desired length
Regular watering in dry conditions and fertilizing with compost in spring or autumn round off the care program.
Tip
With a little patience, you can grow the young plants for your maple hedge yourself. For numerous propagation of field maples, collect the winged fruits with the seeds in autumn. If the cold germinators have undergone stratification in the winter, germination and growth progress rapidly from spring onwards.
