Japanese maple in Belarus

Once you see a Japanese maple, you fall in love with it forever!

How can you pass by such extraordinary beauty?!

It will take time for maples to show all their eccentricity: young plants rarely show all their coloristic talents and only in adulthood acquire relative constancy.

Japanese maples are extremely spectacular, ornamental trees and shrubs. Even in winter, these deciduous plants captivate the eye with their unusual shape of a bare crown, reminiscent of a mushroom or umbrella, and many thin weeping branches. Japanese maples are at their peak in beauty in the fall, when their foliage turns vibrant, almost stunning colors.

No matter what variety you have in front of you: the palm-shaped dissected Emerald Lace, the palm-shaped maple Sumi Nagashi or the slow-growing maples with dissected leaves of the green variety Acer palmatum Dissectum, or the dark red variety Dissectum Garnet. Japanese maples grow as undergrowth, so they are accustomed to a high humus content in the soil, partial shade, and a more or less constant level of humidity.

Japanese maples will grow in any garden if they are created there suitable conditions for these plants. Majority garden soils are quite suitable for Japanese maples, with the exception of highly alkaline ones, as well as places with poor water permeability and standing water or completely dry out in the heat. You can plant it in any corner of your garden, near a barbecue area, near a pond or the entrance to your house. It will be appropriate everywhere.

The size of Japanese maples depends on the variety: Japanese and palmate maples can reach 8 m in height, while dissected varieties usually do not exceed 2 m (in rare cases 4 m at about 25 years of age). The latter often grow more in width than in height.

The leaves of Japanese maples are small and exclusively decorative. The color of the leaves comes in all shades of green, burgundy, red, yellow-orange and even pink and appears best in open, well-lit spaces. Maple flowers are small, yellow-green or reddish, depending on the plant variety. After flowering ends, small paired winged fruits are formed on the plants. Some maples are also decorative with their bark.

The color palette of Japanese maples emphasizes their beauty and reveals their nobility and elegance. In maples it is yellow, orange, red. In young leaves, and light shades green or rich dark red in summer, the color is special and inimitable. It directly depends on the weather conditions in each year, on the conditions of the place of growth and care. Even in neighboring gardens, two identical maples can turn different shades!

Japanese maples are species of maples united by origin: they all come from the alluring and mysterious Land of the Rising Sun. Endemics and their cultivars of this group are popular and are considered the most sought-after representatives of the genus, distinguished by their extraordinary picturesque silhouette and the beauty of carved foliage.

Japanese maple varieties and care

Growing conditions for all types of Japanese maple vary depending on the shape, color, size of the tree, and leaf configuration. Some Japanese maples love full sun, while others do well in the shade.

The root system of Japanese maple is not large. Therefore, it can be planted next to other trees, not far from the house, along the alley, near fences. Japanese maples do not like excess fertilizer. They are grown in loose, moist, acidic soil pH 5.5 -6.5.

The maple will react to a lack of moisture, as well as to its excess, as well as too hot sun or too dry wind, by withering leaves. Japanese maples do not require fertilization liquid fertilizers, mulching the soil is quite enough for them.

Mulching with garden compost protects surface soil root system plants and soil from freezing, drying out and weathering, and also serves as a necessary fertilizer. Carry out mulching twice a year, in early spring and in late autumn, on well-moistened soil, avoiding touching the trunk of the plant. A layer of decorative bark can be placed on top of the compost.

More vulnerable to scorching sun Varieties of Japanese maples with bicolor or edged leaves, they should be planted in semi-shaded areas or areas with sparse light.

There is no need to shape the crown of Japanese maples - they branch very beautifully, creating a crown with interesting outlines. It would also be appropriate to perform sanitary pruning of dry and broken branches, which is carried out in early spring.

Japanese maple (Acer japonicum), which, due to low frost resistance, can only be grown in the south or as a tub beautiful plant with deeply dissected graceful leaves and complex colors from green to cherry and burgundy, decorative forms large- and small-leaved, golden, aconite-leaved. Fan maple (Acer palmatum) and its many varieties.

The beautiful Shirasawa Maple (Acer shirasawanum) is up to only one and a half meters high, whose leaves with a small cross-section are distinguished by a larger blade width. Classic varieties are colored yellow and orange, the shape of the Aureum variety with an original border along the edge of the leaves.

The palmate or Japanese maple is one of the most common hardwood garden bonsai. It owes this to the striking outline of its leaves, multiplied by the beauty of autumn shades.

Decorative period from spring to autumn. The flowers are small, dark red, collected in inflorescences, appearing in early spring. The leaves are flat, dissected into 5-7 oblong parts, long, green, bronze, yellow, red, dark red.

During the dry season, Japanese maples should be watered additionally. It is enough to carry out maintenance procedures once a month, using about 10 liters of water per plant. For tub maples, maintain constant light moisture in the substrate. Another mandatory component of care is mulching. trunk circle any available materials up to 5 cm, you can use pine broom.

Japanese maples are not affected by diseases and pests if grown in the right conditions. Japanese maples, especially rare varieties plants are quite expensive and valuable!

They always and everywhere play the role of the main accents and important points eye attraction. They are placed only in such a way as to maximize the beauty of the plant itself. Maples Japanese varieties They are always planted in the best locations in the garden, near the most advantageous and structurally important objects.

Most often they can be found near a terrace or pond, in front gardens, rock gardens, rock gardens and rock gardens, near a large recreation area or in a landscape group that enlivens large areas of lawns. Japanese maples are not afraid of solo parties or the proximity of other plants.

Buy Japanese maple in Gomel for planting in open ground from March 2015.

1. Type of maple for bonsai
2. Execution options
3. Searching for seeds
4. Preparing the soil and container
5. Planting seeds
6. Working with cuttings
7. Escape landing
8. Planting care
9. Crown formation

Bonsai (translated from Japanese as “grown in a tray”) is a smaller copy of a tree grown at home or in a country house. The effect is achieved by regulating the size and shape of the plant's root system. It is not easy to grow a maple bonsai with your own hands; the process requires patience and time. But the end result fully lives up to expectations: a deciduous tree behaves like a full-fledged fellow tree; in the process of blossoming and withering, the leaf changes color and then falls off. Compact size dwarf plant allows you to keep it even in an apartment; taller individuals decorate verandas and garden plots.

Type of maple for bonsai

You can grow a small tree from pine, sakura, bamboo, willow, elm, lilac, lemon, spruce, ficus. Plant growers experiment with different types of plants; the principle of creating any specimen is to work with the root layering system and special care for the crown.

Maple bonsai can be grown at home from different types wood:

• Rocky;
• Field;
• Palm-shaped;
• Platanolifolia.

Dwarfs of the above species have small leaves, which looks most organic on bonsai trees.

Colored specimens have been bred for growing these trees at home. These include:

• Maple blue or blue;

• Japanese red;

• Violet.

The art of bonsai is in high demand among flower growers and summer residents, because the industry is constantly developing, breeders are developing new types of maples from various shapes leaf and its shades. The photo shows the most popular types of maple compositions.

Execution options

You can grow a miniature tree from a representative of the maple family in several forms:

• Upright appearance;
• Inclined;
• Broom-shaped;
• Grove.

You can grow a composition from seeds or cuttings at home in any form, just follow a clear sequence of actions and not miss important points.

Searching for seeds

Most often, gardeners use a mature tree seed - subsequently, this source can be given any shape without the need to change the already formed system.

Harvesting is done after the “helicopters” ripen and fall off the branches. autumn period. True, such material is not ready for planting: for seeds it is necessary to arrange an imitation winter holiday in artificial conditions. To do this, take a container with a tight-fitting lid and place it in it. wet sand, into which the seeds are buried, the container is closed and placed in the refrigerator. The stratification period is 100-120 days; in the spring the collection is ready for planting.

If you want to grow a natural decorative item at home, but don’t have time to collect seeds, you should contact specialized stores that offer ready-made planting material Japanese and other types of maple. Blue, light blue, and red bonsai are obtained only from specially bred plants.

More quick way get decorative tree- planting cuttings.

Preparation of planting material

In order for the seeds to grow faster, their dense shell is cut and placed in warm water or hydrogen peroxide 9% for 2-3 days. In conditions of high humidity, intense absorption of liquid occurs and the seed comes to life.

To prevent the development of diseases of the tree embryo, the seeds are initially treated with a dry or liquid fungicide.

Preparing the soil and container

To grow maple bonsai at home, it is important to properly prepare the soil. For maple, take an equal ratio of alumina, humus and sand.

An important stage is soil disinfection. Best ways:

1. Heat treatment high temperatures. To do this, the soil is heated in the oven, microwave or in a water bath, then cooled, dried and sifted through a sieve.

1. Another method is freezing and then thawing the soil.
2. The use of biologically active additives such as “Fitosporin”, “Barrier”, etc. They are sold in specialized flower growing stores.

During processing, pathological fungi, mold, insect eggs and other infections that can harm the plant die. After the procedure, fertilizer is introduced into the soil to restore beneficial microflora.

For the first time, you can take a small bonsainitsa - growing a tree is no faster than in natural conditions, therefore, as it grows, it is changed to a larger volume.

The container is thoroughly cleaned with non-aggressive substances, washed and dried. There must be drainage holes in the bottom of the pot. To avoid soil washing out, it is recommended to line the bottom with mesh.

Planting seeds

Soil is poured into the prepared container, leaving 3 cm to the edges of the bonsai. If there are several seeds, they are placed at a distance of at least 1 cm from each other. The resulting layer is pressed with a board, then soil no more than 3 seed diameters thick is poured on top. The planting is lightly watered and the container is covered with glass or polyethylene to allow light to pass freely and retain moisture.

After the first shoots appear, the glass is lifted and several holes are made in the film for feeding fresh air.

After the leaves have formed, young shoots are planted in fresh soil at a distance of 2-3 cm.

Working with cuttings

A faster way to create a maple bonsai with your own hands is to take a ready-made tree cutting and transform it.

1. The prepared twig is prepared in early summer: choose the one you like, it should not have a formed bark.
2. At the base of the cutting, a circular cut is made in the skin and rough woody part. This is where the roots will develop. A second similar incision is made 2-3 cm higher than the first.
3. Remove the bark and hard part between the cuts.

1. A root-forming hormone in the form of powder or gel is applied to the cut area.
2. To activate the work of the substance, moistened sphagnum moss is attached to the treated cut, sealed with polyethylene and left in a dark, cool place.
3. After a few weeks, the roots themselves will appear through the applied protection, then the bandage can be removed.

For germination, you can use a mixture of good compost and sand: place the cut part of the cutting into the moistened substance until roots appear.

After the formation of firm roots, the cuttings are separated from the mother branch.

Escape landing

Take a pot with drainage holes, pour round pebbles and soil (80% crushed bark and 20% peat) into it in an amount sufficient to securely fix the tree. The thin bark of the shoot is removed without disturbing the integrity of the roots, and the exposed part is placed in the ground.

You can add a little sphagnum moss to the soil. It serves as a fertilizer and softens hard water, which provides gentle care for the root system.

To strengthen the fixation, a peg is stuck into the pot, to which the young tree is tied.

Growing bonsai with your own hands using cuttings is only possible in cases where the tree is planned to be placed outdoors. Even proper care cannot replace a wild tree’s native elements. During the period when the foliage color changes, the composition can be brought into the house, but for no more than 1-2 hours.

Planting care

Seedlings obtained from seeds are subjected to root pruning at the age of 3 months - the main rod is shortened by 2/3.

Blue and blue red maples develop in the same way as green ones: replanting of each type should be done in the spring with an interval of no more than 2 years. Each time the soil is completely changed, the central and lateral roots are cut by 20%.

The shoots are pinched after 2-4 leaves have formed.

When the plant reaches a height of 10 cm, it is transplanted into a regular pot, preferably a ceramic one.

In late spring and early summer, bonsai are fertilized with special fertilizers.

Maples love shade, so they should not be left in the open sun. It is also impossible to expose the composition large differences temperatures

Crown formation

Maples are given different shapes by pruning the branches and the direction of their growth.

The blue maple in the photo was obtained from seeds. When appears new branch for a grown plant, it is wrapped with thin wire at the base and fixed to the pot in the desired direction. In this way, the most bizarre and exotic forms of dwarf trees are obtained.

You can grow a home bonsai with your own hands in 5-7 years with proper timely care.

if you love unusual trees and want to see them in your garden, consider Japanese red maple as one of the options. The high decorative value of this crop is undeniable, especially in autumn, when the carved leaves acquire a fiery red color. Compact trees are grown like tapeworms, because their crown looks truly luxurious. Japanese red maple can decorate any corner of the garden, terrace, or greenhouse, because these trees, due to their compact size, can be grown in large portable tubs. We invite you to get acquainted with this culture right now. We will give you a story about caring for red maple and planting it in our conditions.

Features of Japanese maple

If you decide to grow Japanese maple in your garden, you should know what some of the features of this culture are. Firstly, the tree, growing in natural conditions in Japan and Korea, loves warmth. In winter, it can withstand temperatures of at least 20 degrees below zero. This means that growing difficulties may arise if you live in middle lane, where in winter the thermometer sometimes drops below -25-28 degrees. In this regard, it is worth thinking about how exactly you will grow Japanese maple - in a tub, which can be moved to a cool room for the winter, or in the garden, where you will have to take care of covering the tree for the winter?

The second requirement for successful cultivation culture – fertile soil. If the soil on your site is poor, you will have to artificially enrich it both before planting and later. Japanese red maple needs plenty nutrients. Perhaps these are two requirements that need to be taken into account if you want to plant this luxurious tree. We will consider the remaining features of planting and care further.

This is a red maple (photo)

Planting red maple

So where do you start when planting a Japanese red maple? Of course, with the purchase of a seedling. It is best to purchase it from nurseries. It is advisable that the seedling be in a container with soil, then its roots will not be damaged during transportation and transplantation.

Find a spot on your property that gets the most sunlight. It is desirable that it be protected from the wind as much as possible, and that no other trees or shrubs grow nearby, within a radius of 2-3 meters.

As already mentioned, you need to prepare suitable soil for planting Japanese maple. To do this, dig a hole, the size of which in all respects is twice the size of the root system of the purchased seedling. The soil must be breathable, nutritious, slightly acidic or neutral reaction. Thoroughly mix the soil from the hole with compost and peat, and if necessary, if it is clayey, add sand. Pour a third of the soil mixture into the hole.

Carefully remove the seedling along with a lump of earth from the container and place it in the hole. “Popular about health” draws attention to the fact that you should not push a young maple into the ground more than necessary. Place the seedling at the same level at which it grew in the container. Fill it with soil mixture, trying to fill all the voids. Use your hands to compact the soil well, forming a circle around the trunk. Water it, maybe even in two stages, so that the substrate sinks a little along with the water. Immediately mulch the soil surface with peat. Now it will be useful for readers to learn about the features of caring for Japanese red maple.

More photos of red maple

How to Care for Japanese Red Maple?

This culture does not require special attention. The tree needs watering in dry times, and it is advisable to spray young seedlings warm water, but not at noon, but better in the evening, when the sun is not so aggressive. Fertilizing is very important for Japanese red maple. In the spring, when the snow has completely melted and the soil has warmed up a little, the tree trunk circle is sprinkled with granulated mineral fertilizers, after which they water and loosen the soil near the tree trunk.

Mulching with peat and humus will not only help protect the roots from unfavorable conditions, but will also provide long-lasting nutrition. In the middle zone, trees, especially young ones, need to be protected from the winter cold. You can use, for example, garden fleece, which has a soft structure and retains heat well. In areas where the frosts in winter are not so severe, down to -18 degrees, the tree does not need shelter, but snowfall can pose a threat to the crown. It is advisable to clear snow build-ups from branches after heavy snowfall.

The most dangerous are thaws with rain, alternating with frosts. In such conditions, the crown becomes overgrown with ice, which means there is a risk that the branches will not withstand the load and will break. This crop does not need pruning, unless it makes sense to cut off shoots that have suffered from frost in winter. The formation of the crown of the Japanese red maple occurs naturally, and over time the tree acquires a unique and refined silhouette.

As you can see, there is nothing special or complicated about caring for and planting Japanese maple. The main thing is to provide it with a nutritious environment and protect it from the cold in winter. If you grow this tree in a tub, then simply move it to a cool room for the winter. The rest of the gardener’s actions are standard - watering, loosening the tree trunk, mulching the soil and fertilizing in spring and autumn.

For bonsai connoisseurs, maple, sakura and mountain pine are real symbols of this ancient art. But if evergreen pine needles makes the appearance of the tree unchanged throughout the year, sakura is especially attractive in the spring, during flowering, while maple is a bright palette of autumn with its unusual openwork foliage.

Maples are distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. Bonsai culture is traditionally dominated by Far Eastern, Chinese and Japanese varieties, but the growing popularity of this area of ​​plant growing has made it possible to include varieties from Europe, the Caucasus and the North American continent in the list of species.

Types of maple for growing bonsai

Plants with small foliage and short internodes, which allow you to create miniatures that are unique in shape and harmonious, natural in appearance.

Among the species suitable for growing bonsai are Japanese and Norway maples, Montpelian, field and rock maples. Palm maple trees with intricately cut leaf blades are in particular demand. The leaves of this species remain red, contrastingly edged, light yellow or purple not only in autumn, but throughout the year. This species should not be confused with the red maple, also grown as a bonsai. Its five-fingered leaves gradually change their appearance and the appearance of the crown as a whole in autumn. From the USA and Canada, the ash-leaf maple, which is easy to shape, unpretentious and also has varieties with variegated or silver foliage, has come into the sphere of interest of bonsai connoisseurs.

It is not surprising that small trees with red, yellow or any other bright foliage are most attractive to gardeners. Therefore, unscrupulous sellers often “play” on this by offering blue maple seeds for bonsai. There is no need to believe empty promises. If shoots appear from such seeds, at best they will turn out to be an ordinary maple with green leaves. Although it is impossible to grow a blue maple, bonsai with purple, carmine, red or orange leaves are a reality.

There are many examples of varieties used for red maple bonsai, however, due to the low chlorophyll content that supports the nutrition of the tree, such plants are weaker than their green counterparts and require special attention.

Decorative forms more often suffer from sunburn, frost and cold wind, and their brightness directly depends on the choice of location. In the shade, red, burgundy and crimson shades may disappear.

Another highlight of the Japanese maple bonsai is plants with strongly dissected leaves reminiscent of palm branches. These types look great in cascading, flowing compositions, but are not suitable for beginners due to their rather capricious nature and soreness.

And here dwarf varieties maple trees in bonsai are unpretentious and seem to help a person with their formation. They do not tend to grow upward, but form a dense crown covered with small foliage that preserves its natural appearance.

Conditions for growing maple bonsai

Maples feel good in central Russia, but in the form of bonsai this tree suffers more from external influences and needs to carefully choose a place of residence.

The most common maples in bonsai, palmate and fan maples, can become sick and experience growth difficulties:

• under direct sunlight, especially in the southern regions;
• in the wind or drafts;
• in dense shade.

However, if we're talking about about the choice between light and shadow, it is better to expose the pot to the sun, which in the central part of the country will not cause serious harm. In the sun, the tree produces smaller leaves, which eliminates the need to remove buds and does not weaken the plant. In addition, the colors of the foliage full sun brighter and more attractive.

If in summer time, as in the photo, maple bonsai, placed on open air, it must be protected from the wind, otherwise a plant with a trimmed root system risks losing its balance and falling out of the shallow pot.

Maples, both in nature and at home with low temperatures They do not tolerate excessive air humidity and insufficient flow of fresh air. Under such conditions, bonsai is affected by harmful fungi that cause powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Watering is a mandatory and very important part of caring for a maple bonsai. In summer, the intensity and frequency are increased, and if necessary, careful sprinkling is used. In winter, when the leaves fall and the plant goes into hibernation, the need for moisture drops sharply.

In the spring, when the maple awakens, it is fed, and the presence of iron in the mixture is important for the maple. This is also taken into account when preparing the substrate. The soil for maple bonsai should be nutritious, aerated, with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. In addition to traditional components, a clay substrate for bonsai is added to the soil, which provides anchorage for the root system and structures the earth mixture.

Replanting and replacing the container when growing maple bonsai coincides with pruning the roots, which is carried out every 2-3 years. In parallel with the formation, dead or damaged rhizomes and lumps of adhering soil are removed.

Propagation of maple for bonsai

All types of this plant are easily propagated by cuttings and rooted layering. Seeds, which should be stratified before sowing, are also suitable for growing maple bonsai.

To do this, the seed is dropped into damp sphagnum, sand or sand, after which the container with the seeds is sent to the refrigerator. To prepare palm maple seeds, for example, 3–4 months in the vegetable compartment is sufficient. When warmed, the shell will certainly open, and friendly shoots will appear.

Hatched maple seeds for bonsai are transferred to a sand-peat mixture or planted in well-moistened peat tablets. In a greenhouse in the light, but not in the direct rays of the sun, the plant produces a pair of true leaves within a month.

When their number reaches 4-5, it is time to transfer the young maples into their own pots and begin forming a bonsai.

Techniques for forming a maple bonsai crown

How to grow a maple bonsai without pruning and pinching the crown? This is impossible. These techniques, along with the formation of stems using wire, are an integral part of the ancient art.

Branches are pruned when up to five pairs of full-fledged leaves open on the shoot. Usually they are shortened by 2–4 leaves, and large leaf blades are plucked out separately, leaving their cuttings.

Over time, the cuttings will wither and fall off, and too large leaves will be replaced by small ones that are more appropriate for bonsai. In mid-summer, healthy trees with green foliage are defoliated or plucked out the growth buds, which will lead to:

• to growth retardation;
• to the gradual formation of shorter shoots;
• to increase crown density.

This operation is not performed on red maples for bonsai because it can weaken the already sensitive plant.

It is better to carry out all procedures related to pruning not in the spring, when sap flow is active, but in the summer or autumn. The same applies artificial aging maples grown for bonsai. In the second half or at the end of the growing season, the wounds heal better and the tree recovers better.

Bonsai from Japanese palmleaf maple - video

Japanese maple: planting seedlings and care, growing from seeds

The Japanese maple differs from the common Norway maple variety in European latitudes in its unique foliage color. Shrubs or trees grow no higher than 10 m and are suitable for decoration garden plot. If planting conditions are met, the seedling will quickly take root and eventually produce seeds suitable for further propagation.

Planting behind a seedling

The tree attracts attention with its orange or red crown and grayish trunk bark. There are several varieties of the plant; seedlings are selected taking into account the size of your own plot.

Source: Depositphotos

Japanese maple has a distinctive foliage color

Buy young maple trees in a container. This way, the roots of the tree will not be damaged during planting, and the soil familiar to the plant will increase the chances of survival. Choose a seedling up to a year old, with healthy leaves and without obvious damage.

First of all, find a place on the site suitable for maple, without drafts and with good lighting. Presence nearby big trees undesirable.

Simple planting rules are as follows:

• Prepare a 30 cm hole in the soil.
• The tree does not like waterlogging, so form a drainage layer from screenings or small stones 5 cm thick.
• Moisten the soil, remove the seedling from the container and place it in the hole.
• Cover the top with soil containing peat.
• Water the young tree and spray the leaves with water.

Maple is undemanding to the composition of the soil; the main condition is the presence of humus. Absolutely not suitable for the plant alkaline environment. Further watering is organized frequently, in small volumes.

Growing from seeds

Organize seed collection in the fall, when they begin to fall. Over the next 4 months, keep them in a cool place where the temperature does not exceed +5 °C, in a container with moistened sand.

Basic cultivation steps:

• At the end of April or beginning of May, place the seeds in hydrogen peroxide for 3 days to disinfect.
• Before planting, mix the soil with sand, peat and humus.
• The depth of maple seeds is over 3 cm. For planting, use containers 20 cm high and 15 cm in diameter.
• Over the next period of time, keep the soil moist.

The greenhouse effect will help speed up germination. You will be able to see the first shoots after 2 weeks. After the first leaves appear, transplant the plant into open ground. Maple grows slowly; caring for the plant includes 3 steps:

• timely watering;
• loosening the soil;
• weed removal.

If the planting and care conditions are met, by autumn the maple sprouts will reach a height of 20–35 cm. After 1–3 years, transplant the seedlings to a permanent place.

With careful care, this beautiful plant attracts with its bright foliage and unusual trunk. Periodic pruning of branches helps to form the crown of the desired shape.