Planting and caring tips for Acer Japanese Maple

Japanese maples are wonderful long-term garden plants given the right start and a little aftercare from you they will delight season after season with their fabulous foliage and elegant forms there are many varieties to choose from some are low and spreading others eventually grow into beautiful small trees the good news is they are far easier to grow than many people believe they grow on no soils however Japanese maples also make wonderful subjects for pots and containers grown in this way they add height maturity and beauty to balconies courtyards and patios aces prefer a nutri to acid soil so in pots use vitex ericaceous compost mix with equal quantities of John Innes number three this will help to make the compost more water retentive and also it makes it heavier which helps stability choose a pot that enhances the character of the maple and also one that looks good in your garden it needs to be considerably bigger than the growing pot giving the plant enough room to grow and develop over the next few years it needs to hold enough compost to keep the plants stable and also to prevent drying out aces hate to be dry at the roots water the plant thoroughly before you start put a layer of broken crocks in the bottom of the cart to cover the drainage holes now partially fill the pot with the compost mix next carefully remove the ASA from its pot and set on one side the root ball will stay intact position the growing pot in the container and then fill around it with the compost mix add a small handful of vitex asa feed and mix it into the compost now firm down the compost with your fingertips around the pot and then carefully lift out the growing pot and drop in your a sir it will fit perfectly insuring really good contact between those roots and its lovely new compost use exactly the same technique when planting in the open ground prepare the soil well add plenty of compost and a couple of good handfuls of I tax ASA feed then in both cases remember to water thoroughly and keep watering during the first growing season until the plant is well-established aces hate to be dry at the roots that's the main reason they struggle on shallow chalk oils if they're too dry the tips of the leaves become Brown and eventually the whole leaf goes crispy if plants are affected if they're watered well they normally recover and actually go on to flourish in subsequent years when you're planting in the open ground add plenty of organic compost because that helps to hold on to the moisture most aces are happiest with some shade however the red leaf forms need enough direct sunlight for good foliage color with too much shade the leaves become dull and the autumn color is poor the variegated forms and those with thin delicate leaves like much shadier conditions Japanese maples hate exposed conditions where delicate foliage can become damaged especially early in the season they're ideal for sheltered gardens and courtyards and when you're planting in the open ground plant them where they get shelter from other mature trees and shrubs they're not greedy feeders however they do need the right nutrients for healthy growth and vibrant foliage fight ax ASA feed is an organic fertilizer releasing its nutrients slowly to keep your Japanese maple in perfect condition right through the year in pots scrape off the soil surface scatter on the fertilizer and top up with fresh compost four aces growing in the open ground a couple of handfuls sprinkled over the soil surface worked into the ground on watered thoroughly is all your plants need so wherever you grow your Japanese maples give them the best and look after them they're such wonderful garden plants and so rewarding to grow

Channel: Vitax Garden World

Views: 222,390

Rating: 4.8171992 out of 5

Keywords: garden, gardening, acer, japanese maple, vitax, garden world, gardening tips, planting

Id: w5VectvF9nw

Length: 5min 28sec (328 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 02 2019