Red maple. Decorative red maple

Japanese maples are rightfully considered the most decorative and spectacular trees. In summer and autumn they fascinate with the beauty of their leaves, and in winter with the unusual structure of the crown, with a great many thin branches.

General information with descriptions of varieties

TO Japanese maples include palm maple (Acer palmatum), fan maple (Dissectum), and Japanese maple (Acer japonicum), as well as numerous varieties bred on their basis by breeders.

As the name suggests, Japanese maples are native to the Land of the Rising Sun. They all differ in decorative carved leaves purple and bright orange colors and shades, and a beautiful crown structure.

The sizes of Japanese maples, depending on the type, range from 2-3 meters to 8 meters in height. Palm maples are taller, while fan maples are shorter. The flowers are no different large sizes, have a yellow-green or red color, which depends on the variety. The flowers produce lionfish seeds, which are scattered over long distances, growing into new trees. Many Japanese maples are distinguished by their decorative crown and bark. Due to these features, the tree becomes a real decoration of the garden or greenhouse.

In addition to the basic varieties, there are many hybrid forms bred in Japan. Each of these forms has a name that conveys the peculiarity of the variety; the main thing is to understand them correctly.

• Shirasawa maple (Acer shirasawanum) is one of the smallest, about 1.5 meters high. Its leaves are wide, with a border along the edges, and yellow-orange in color.
• The variety "Bloodgood" has a unique inky black leaf color.
• The Beni Kava variety has bright scarlet, light leaves and a fiery red, ruby ​​hue of bark.
• The Katsura variety has red young leaves that turn green in summer and golden in autumn.
• The 'Nicholsonii' variety has green leaves in summer and brick red leaves in autumn.
• The variety "Aconitifolium" is multi-stemmed, with arching branches and dark red foliage.
• The Mikawa yatsubusa variety is different small in size– up to 1.5 meters, dense, squat crown. Its leaves consist of thin, needle-shaped lobes, bright green in summer and orange-scarlet in autumn.
• The variety "Shino Buga Oka" is short in height, from 1 meter to 1.2-1.3 meters in height. The plant is very spreading, with decorative leaves, bright green in summer and yellow-orange in autumn.

Planting and care

IN wildlife Japanese maple grows well in soil rich in humus and with a slightly acidic reaction. Prefers semi-shady places and stable humidity levels.

Japanese maple does not like highly alkaline soils, places with stagnant moisture and poor water permeability. However, drying out and the scorching rays of daylight also have a bad effect on the decorativeness of its leaves. Japanese maple varieties with two-colored or edged leaves suffer more than others from direct sunlight; such varieties should be planted in partial shade.

The best thing decorative properties These plants appear in abundant, diffused light. In a park or garden, they will feel good in places where there is sun in the morning and evening, and where there is no sun during the day. Choosing a place to plant maple is made easier by the fact that it is not afraid of drafts.

It must be remembered that Japanese maples are heat-loving plants and do not tolerate spring frosts, damaging young leaves. Due to low frost resistance in central Russia, trees need to be wrapped with covering material for the winter, for example, garden fleece.

In areas with a mild climate in winter, maple branches must be freed from adhering wet snow to protect them from damage; the fan maple suffers especially badly from snow. But when the branches are covered with ice after “hot rain” or a thaw, you should not touch them - they will break.

In summer, especially during drought, maples need to be watered abundantly and often, and the leaves should be sprayed in the morning or evening. In conditions of a lack or excess of moisture, under the influence of a dry and hot wind, under the scorching rays of the sun, the tree will experience real stress, which will make itself felt by drying out the tips of the leaves and dropping the leaves.

If this happens, they begin to water the maple more often, spray it, and stop fertilizing. These measures will help bring it back to life, and new leaves will appear on it even in summer.

In spring and autumn, the soil around the trunk should be mulched with humus from leaves, tree bark, garden compost, wood chips. Mulching is of great importance for a tree - protection from soil drying out in summer, protection of roots from freezing in winter, additional fertilizer all year round.

To prevent the trunk from rotting, organic materials used for mulching should not be poured next to it.

In the spring, fertilizer granules are added to the soil under the tree, and only then it is covered with mulch from humus or compost, and sprinkled with colored wood chips on top. Spring feeding Slow-acting fertilizers will last the maple for the whole year; nitrogenous fertilizers are strictly contraindicated for it.

If the maple grows in poor soil, it needs to be fed 2 times a year. minerals long-acting - in spring and summer.

As for pruning, it is carried out only on mature and old thickened trees that have lost their former decorative effect. They need pruning in order to make the crown more transparent, lighter, and open to air and sunlight - these measures will be an excellent prevention of fungal diseases. Pruning should be done during the dormant period - in early spring or late autumn, when there are no leaves on the tree.

Young maples do not need pruning, the trees grow very slowly, and their beautiful crown forms naturally.

Reproduction

Japanese maple reproduces by seeds and natural conditions, and in culture. The seeds must be fresh; they are collected as they ripen, most often in October.

For stratification, seeds are placed in dry sand and taken to a cool place. In the spring, they are sown in a container, pre-treated with growth stimulating agents.

Over the summer, the seedlings do not grow too much, but already in this state it is possible to separate strong seedlings from weak ones. The weak ones are removed, and the strong ones are sent to a cool room with above-zero temperatures for the winter. In the spring they are transplanted into tubs or pots, and when they reach a height of 30 centimeters or more, they are planted in open ground, in a tub or in a greenhouse on permanent place. If the maple is to grow in a tub, the soil in it should be rich in organic fertilizers.

Another type of propagation of Japanese maples is grafting cuttings onto a strong rootstock of a similar species, for example, palmate maple.

Maple in the garden

In regions with cold climates, Japanese maples are grown in tubs, which are brought into a cool room for the winter. Growing maples in a tub provides another advantage - the ability to move them, if necessary, into the shade, into the sun or to a place protected from wind, hail and rain.

Since the trees are low-growing, in Japan the tubs with them are placed on a stand so that their remarkable beauty is better visible.

Needless to say, the ornamental tree goes well with other garden inhabitants - shrubs, trees, flowers, ornamental grasses. The tree will decorate any corner of the garden - pond, rockery, stone Japanese garden.

Maples, whose leaves become most decorative in the fall, will look good next to autumn flowers - chrysanthemums, oaks, asters. They can be planted next to a tree to finally admire the colorful and bright beauty of the autumn garden.

Low-growing evergreen shrubs after pruning, for example, boxwood, juniper, and ornamental conifers, will be good neighbors for Japanese maples.

As a last resort, you can do without flowers and shrubs - simply fill the ground around with painted small gravel or wood chips.

Many gardeners prefer to grow on their plot not only healthy vegetables and delicious fruits, but also ornamental plants, decorating garden landscape. These plants include the exotic Japanese maple - a wonderful representative of the botanical world, with a bright spreading crown.

The tree attracts with its original appearance, however, the question arises whether this exotic beauty will be difficult to care for. To dispel doubts, in this article we will talk about the features of growing Japanese maple in our climate: we will find out how to plant the plant and how to care for it.

Description and features

Japanese maple is an ornamental tree originally from Japan. Today about 100 of them are known various types and varieties: such a rare variety allows you to choose the most suitable variety and leaf coloring for any landscape design.

Japanese maple

The height of the Japanese maple can be from two to ten meters, and has a characteristic bright color of foliage. Leaf colors can be as follows:

• green;
• red;
• yellow;
• pink

Other, rarer shades of color are also possible: it depends on the plant variety.

The shape of the plant is interesting and unusual: the Japanese maple has a lush, spreading, wide crown, somewhat reminiscent of a palm tree. This is an ideal plant for autumn: with its wonderful variety of bright foliage, it can dispel any blues, lift your spirits, and inspire creativity.

IN northern regions Unfortunately, outdoor cultivation of Japanese maple is very difficult: only if you place the plant in a large tub, which can be put away in a house or barn for the winter.

Varieties

Today, the following varieties of Japanese maple are the most decorative and popular.

Shirasawa

This is a low variety of tree: it reaches a height of only one and a half meters. It has decorative wide leaves, a beautiful and bright orange-yellow hue.

Shirasawa

Bloodgood

This is for real unique variety, since the tree in this case has inky black leaves.

Beni Kava

This variety of Japanese maple has original bright red foliage and ruby-colored bark. Can you imagine how decorative look has a plant.

Beni Kava

Katsura

An interesting variety that has double-colored leaves: in summer they are green, and by autumn they change color to golden.

How to plant

Although the procedure for planting a Japanese maple seedling is simple, it does, however, require knowledge of some nuances. Let's talk about these nuances in more detail.

To plant a plant correctly, you need to prepare in advance:

• the seedling itself: healthy and strong;
• compost and peat for fertilizer.

First, you should dig a hole: its parameters should be approximately twice the span of the plant’s roots. If the seedling was purchased in a pot, then it must be carefully removed from this container. Unravel the roots of the plant: also very carefully, without tugging.

Add peat and compost to the prepared hole. Place the seedling in the hole, sprinkle soil on top, and tamp it down.

In the video - planting a Japanese maple:

Around the seedling, form small sides of soil along the diameter of the root circle. This will make it easier to water the plant, as the water will not be able to drain.

Immediately after planting, water the seedling so that the roots take root faster. If the summer turns out to be very hot, the seedling will need to be watered more often and more abundantly.

Next spring, it is necessary to lay a mulch layer of soil mixed with rotten fallen leaves over the root circle of the plant. This layer will help moisture stay longer in the root circle and also protect the ground around the seedling from weeds.

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Selection of location and conditions

If you have chosen a plant to plant finger variety, then he needs to prepare shady place. All other types of Japanese maple prefer full sun. But, although many of the varieties tolerate direct Sun rays, however, this does not apply to those that have double-colored leaves: in this case, the plant requires only shade or partial shade. By the way, Japanese maple is not afraid of winds and drafts, so this parameter is not important here.

As for the soil, it should be well-drained and light. The plant prefers fertile, humus-rich soil that is slightly acidic.. It is important that root system plants received moisture without obstacles and in sufficient quantity. Otherwise, the leaves of the Japanese maple may turn brown from lack of water.

The plant does not tolerate lime, so the area should not be treated with this substance. If the root system of the plant comes into contact with lime, this may cause the maple leaves to begin to fall off.

It is important to know that these plants are quite heat-loving, and the harsh climate of the Russian north is unlikely to suit them. However, experienced gardeners They carefully cover the tree for the winter, thanks to which they are able to grow Japanese maple even in cold winter conditions.

Mulching

Mulching is of great importance for a tree: this procedure must be carried out both in spring and autumn. Use humus, tree bark, wood chips, and compost as mulch. The procedure helps the tree roots to have constant access to moisture, protects the roots from freezing in winter, and also additional feeding and weed control.

Trimming

In the first years of its life, the plant must be pruned regularly to form a crown. And then you can no longer trim, but only remove diseased and broken branches.

Top dressing

In spring, under the tree it is necessary to apply granulated mineral fertilizers, and only then cover this fertilizing with a mulch layer. Keep in mind that the mineral complex should be free of nitrogenous components, since they Japanese maple unsuitable.

If the soil is fertile enough, then one feeding will be enough for a year. If it is scanty, then it is necessary to feed the tree again in the summer. But you can feed the plant only until August. Then the application of any fertilizers must be stopped, as the maple needs to begin to prepare for wintering.

Winter care

If the climate in your area is not mild, be sure to cover the Japanese maple for the winter. It is recommended to choose garden fleece as a covering material, as it is the warmest and soft material. If there is a lot of snow in winter, then regularly free the maple branches from this heavy precipitation.

Otherwise, the branches may not be able to withstand it and break. However, you should not touch the tree when the branches are covered with an ice crust after a thaw: in this case they are especially easy to break.

Japanese maple at home

It is possible to grow this wonderful plant at home: in this case, choose dwarf variety maple. The Japanese believe that the presence of this plant has positive impact on the energy of the apartment: brings peace, happiness, peace and prosperity.

In addition to this scientifically unconfirmed belief, scientists have already proven that Japanese maple is capable of purifying the air in an apartment, and this has a beneficial effect on the microclimate of the home. In addition, the delightful flowering of the plant will delight you from spring until late autumn.

In the video - Japanese maple in the house:

At home growing For Japanese maple, protecting the plant from pests becomes especially important, since in this case the tree grows more tender.

Reproduction

Japanese maple is usually propagated by seeds. You need to collect seeds in the fall, ideally in October. In order to properly prepare the seeds for subsequent planting, they must be stratified. To do this, the collected planting material is placed in dry sand mixture, and store all winter in a cool place. In the spring, they are sown in a container, having previously been treated with a growth stimulator.

During the first summer, the seedlings do not stretch too much, but even at this stage it is possible to sort them, leaving them for further cultivation only the strongest and tallest specimens.

It is best for seedlings grown from seeds to spend their first winter indoors, still in their container. The next spring (the second spring in the plant’s life), the seedlings must be transplanted into pots of suitable size (separate for each specimen), and then, having grown a little more, transplanted into open ground.

If the climate or other reasons do not allow transplanting into the ground, make sure that the soil in the tub is rich in organic matter.

Application in garden design

The decorative nature of Japanese maple allows it to be used as a decoration for any landscape design. A tree planted alone will look most advantageous. In groups, the Japanese maple will pull all the “blanket of attention” onto itself, so this type garden design not very suitable for him.

Japanese maple in garden design

If the tree is placed on a slight elevation, this will allow the best way highlight it and highlight its beauty. Japanese maple also looks great against the background of almost any other flowers, shrubs and trees. He can decorate with his presence both the rosary and water zone, and a Japanese rock garden. But what kind of conifers are in landscape design summer cottage can be used, indicated

We looked at the features of growing Japanese maple in the garden. As you can see, despite its exotic and rather original appearance, this plant can be grown quite safely in our climate. By following the advice from the article, you can easily grow this wonderful plant on your site and decorate the landscape outside your window with a bright, cheerful spot.

Saying “Japanese maples” usually means two types of trees from the maple family, or Aceraceae. The genus name comes from the Latin word “acer”, meaning “sharp”. The leaves of most maple species have sharp edges.

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) is a slow-growing shrub that can decorate both small and large gardens. He is miniature and tolerates haircuts well. This means that the size of the shrub can be maintained at a very modest level for many years. Gardeners in the southern regions are lucky - this maple grows without problems in warm regions. IN middle lane palmate maple can only be grown in a container, brought in in late autumn winter Garden or other cool room.

Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) is no less capricious in relation to Russian winters. Under natural conditions it is not a large tree, but in cultivation it reaches 8-10 m in height. The branches are reddish-ashy. The bark is gray, smooth, and does not crack.

For those who are fascinated by the beauty of Japanese maples, but frightened by their fastidiousness to the Russian climate, you can recommend other scarlet beauties.

Manchurian maple (Acer mandshuricum) is native to the Far Eastern forests of Russia. The very first of the “autumn” ones is painted in bright red tones. It reaches a height of 20 m.

Red maple, or swamp (Acer Rubrum) originally from Canada. Winter-hardy, reaches up to 30 m in height. The free-growing tree has an ash-gray tent-shaped crown. The foliage turns bright red with a crimson, pink tint.

Many people consider fan maples to be a beautiful, capricious toy. I also decided to buy my first maple only in 2004. Still, the confident opinion that this plant was not for our climate stopped me. The result surprised me: it turned out that with a little effort on the part of the gardener, the fan maple tolerates our winters quite loyally.

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There are currently three fan maples in my garden, or more precisely, three varieties of maple (Acerpalmatum): ‘Garnet’, ‘Atropurpureum’ and ‘Orange Dream’. Only three, because the choice of varieties for me was limited to an assortment of inexpensive planting material, which could be purchased in St. Petersburg garden centers. I am not a supporter of burying money even in own garden— I try not to buy mature plants from expensive nurseries with a dubious prospect of wintering. It’s better to choose a baby, let him get used to our climate, and if he does fall out, it won’t be such a waste of money spent. Of course, this approach has its drawbacks, but I am ready to put up with them. As a matter of fact, today I would love to plant other varieties, but I have not yet found the right place for them.

What does the right place mean?

In nature, thickets of palmar maple usually form an undergrowth along with shrubs such as rhododendrons. This means that when planting it, you need to choose partial shade and soil rich in humus. Like rhododendrons, palm maple grows well on loose, permeable, acidic substrates and, even in the conditions of our rather cold North-West, prefers diffuse partial shade. In summer, it needs to compensate for the lack of moisture (especially in dry climates). A signal that the plant is suffering from a lack of water is withering young shoots and leaves. So the maple will have to be watered and sprayed regularly. It’s even better to plant it near a pond. To preserve moisture and maintain acidity levels, you can also mulch the tree trunk circle with pine needles or peat with the addition of humus. The layer of mulch must be renewed every spring.

Three nuances - so that the maple does not weaken

When planted in a well-filled hole, maple does not require feeding during the season. In the future, it needs to be fed with a special fertilizer for heathers. However, you should not overuse fertilizers. An overfed plant cannot cope with fungal diseases, its bark does not ripen, and such a weakened bush most often dies during the winter. The cause of death can also be the so-called verticillium wilt, when without visible reasons The leaves of the plant wither and wither and entire branches begin to die. In this case, it is worth cutting out all the dead wood to healthy tissue, disinfecting the cuts and paying attention to watering (it is in a humid, warm environment that fungal organisms feel most at ease).

In the spring, I simply remove dried and damaged branches from my maples after wintering. At this time, there is intense sap flow, and severe pruning is fraught with weakening of the plant. In mild climates, more serious formative pruning is possible, but again, it is recommended to do it in the fall, after leaf fall, when the structure of the crown is clearly visible.

Acquired its name and synonyms for it (palliform maple) due to its characteristic shape. sheet plate, which resembles an open fan or palm. Variety ‘Orange Dream’ is showy and vibrant among my maples. The reddish foliage of new shoots attracts attention in June, standing out against the background of the green crown. And in the fall the leaf turns all shades of scarlet.

How to prepare it for winter

Ten years ago, a few publications about the wintering of fan maples in open ground in the middle zone they said their unequivocal “no!” However, the general softening of the climate and the successes of enthusiasts are forcing a gradual change in the peremptory tone. For the most part, maples do not exceed one and a half meters in height. That is, in conditions of stable snow cover, their branches will be reliably protected from frost. However, you shouldn’t rely only on snow. You need to start preparing maples for winter at the end of July - August. Stop fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers. For better ripening of wood, no later than the beginning of September, you can give phosphorus-potassium fertilizer with microelements. During the same period, reduce watering and loosening the soil, thereby stopping the growth of shoots. Immediately before wintering, remove all leaves - a source of food for pests. Finally, after the first frost, the bush can be sprayed with a weak, 3% solution of any copper-containing preparation. To be sure, I still plant it in a container. However, frosts without snow are not uncommon in the European part of Russia. Therefore, in order to be completely sure of success, maple is recommended to grow in a tub culture, transferring it to the dark for the winter, unheated room, with a stable temperature of about +5°C.

Our information

Dwarf varieties of palm maple are often called Japanese maples. However, this is not a botanical name, but a synonym, more indicating the origin of the plant. Fan maples are commonly associated with oriental motifs in the garden. However, nothing prevents you from trying them in other compositions. Graceful leaves fluttering in the wind will look good with cereals, conifers and many perennials: garden geraniums , , .

But I chose a different wintering option: in a container, but in the garden. This was prompted by a sad story with my very first maple ‘Atropurpureum’, purchased back in 2004. After the first winter in open ground, the plant was severely frozen, retaining only the lower tier of branches. To save it, I transplanted it into a 3-liter container and laid it on its side in a trench before next winter. The effect was impressive: in the spring, absolutely all the branches were alive! Now everyone is theirs fan maples Immediately after purchase, I plant them in large tubs (they spend the season in them), and with the approach of permanent frosts, I place them directly in the tubs in a shallow trench - this way the branches remain under the snow longer. I have resolved the issue of wintering.

So why did the story with the first maple turn out to be sad? Alas, after that successful winter, the bright spring sun within a week burned the young crown, unaccustomed to the light, and the plant died. I didn’t know then... Container storage has its own characteristics. Maples living in a container need to soften the transition from the dormant state to the growth phase. Therefore, in the spring you cannot immediately expose the container to the open sun, at first - only in partial shade! And in order to compensate for the natural evaporation of moisture, which inevitably increases in the light, the bush must immediately be shed with a large amount of water and this procedure must be repeated over the next week. Plants in tub culture are generally more demanding of moisture: they will have to be watered more often than ordinary garden plants.

At least once early in the season container maples it is necessary to feed with a long-acting complex fertilizer. Otherwise, in the depleted potting soil, the plant will gradually wither. But replanting is not a problem: the root system of this type of maple is quite compact. I only needed to transfer it to a larger, five-liter container in the fourth year.

Source: Maria KARELA

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Having beautiful colour leaves in summer - from different shades of green to yellow, brown or reddish. In autumn, these trees simply amaze with their magnificent outfits. Combination

decorative beautiful crown and indescribable color creates a magnificent sight.

Under the general name "Japanese maple" there are two species of plants: Acer japonicum and Acer palmatum. Plants of the first type are small trees native to Japan. Have different type crowns, size and type of foliage. Foliage in summer has different colors, in the fall it is painted in numerous tones of yellow and red, some varieties have purple. These plants are very rarely found on sale here. The species Acer palmatum - maple or maple - has become more widespread in our country.

fan-shaped There are more than a thousand varieties of plants of this species. All of them are divided into subgroups according to height, crown shape and foliage. Plants of this species in adulthood can be either several tens of centimeters in height or 7-8 meters. They also differ in the type of crown. It can be weeping, prostrate, spherical, vertical, or umbrella-shaped. Leaves can have from five to eleven lobes. Many of the varieties have young leaves of a completely different color (pink, purple, beige, etc.), which gives the plant an even more decorative appearance.

Japanese maple will also deliver during flowering. It has bright flowers that appear before the leaves bloom. Ripe lionfish always hang under the leaves, sometimes they

have a slight edge.

The Japanese maple tolerates the conditions of our winters extremely poorly. They tried to acclimatize these plants back in the days when this issue was dealt with botanical gardens USSR and, finally, numerous gardeners modern Russia. Unfortunately, this species is considered unpromising for breeding in the middle zone. You can buy a Japanese maple, but you will need to grow it in a pot and place it in a covered greenhouse or veranda, on a balcony, in any cool (but not

cold) room. There are quite a few varieties of Japanese maple that can be planted in a pot. If you consider that the cost of a small plant is comparable to the cost of a good bouquet of flowers, then you can easily afford such a luxury.

The new dwarf variety Shaina reaches 1.5 meters when mature. It has a dense dissected crown, the leaves are carmine-red in autumn. This species will feel great in a container or flowerpot. The unusual foliage of Wilson's Pink Dwarf maple is flamingo pink in the spring and red to light orange in the fall. This plant can grow up to 1.4 meters tall when mature and is great for growing in pots or containers.

There are many more such varieties of Japanese maple, all of them have an attractive appearance. If you are ready to give them a little attention, they will delight you with their unusual color and decorative shape with early spring until late autumn. And even without foliage, such a tree may well become the center of an interesting exhibition, the main thing is desire and a little imagination.