Japanese maple, red and Japanese – care and cutting

It is one of the most popular types of maple in German gardens, the red Japanese maple. At 6 to 7.50 m, it does not grow excessively high, but rather thrives in the form of a shrub with a solid trunk. It owes its enormous popularity not least to the deep red, fan-shaped leaves that attract attention from afar. It develops particularly well in a sunny to partially shaded location, especially if it is also protected from too much wind at this point. In spring it pampers the viewer with fresh leaves that are purple in color. In the course of the summer, the color changes to a light reddish-green, only to turn into scarlet in autumn. So that the red Japanese maple can fully develop these outstanding properties, In addition to the sunny location, the soil also plays an important role. This should be as loose and humus as possible, with a tendency to a slightly acidic pH value. In addition, there must be no waterlogging at its location, because this would cause the fine roots to die off in a short time.

The most popular cultivated forms of the Japanese maple

In addition to the highly valued red Japanese maple, the following cultivated forms are increasingly winning the hearts of enthusiastic hobby gardeners:

• Arakawa – This Japanese Japanese maple has quite a bark of bark. The young leaves appear a fresh green that turns a bright red by autumn.
• Beni komachi – This is a dwarf form that is very suitable as a container plant. The bright red leaves turn a deep scarlet red over the course of the year
• Bloodgood – With a mighty growth form up to 6 meters high, this Japanese Japanese maple wins the hearts of its followers with a particularly pronounced autumn color.
• Katsura – This Japanese maple starts the season with greenish-reddish leaves that later change to yellow and orange autumn colors.
• Osakazuki – It impresses with its particularly large leaves that are up to 10 cm wide and adorn the garden with a bright red in autumn.
• Dissectum – This cultivated form inspires hobby gardeners not only with its impressive color spectrum, but also with the deeply incised leaves and the lush, overhanging growth.

This is only a small selection of the wide range of cultivated forms of the Japanese maple. They may look quite different, but they have largely uniform requirements when it comes to maintenance.

Care of the red and Japanese maple

Since the Japanese maple is a shallow root, it prefers a moist soil without waterlogging. The following care instructions are therefore important so that he feels comfortable in the garden:

• to loosen solid ground with sand;
• water abundantly;
• give water mornings and evenings in summer;
• water even in winter if it doesn’t freeze;
• provide mineral fertilizer in spring;
• protect from wind to avoid leaf tip drought;
• regularly check for pests and diseases.

If the Japanese maple is intended to be planted in a tub, these tips are also helpful:

• the chosen planter is 10 cm larger than the root ball;
• the bucket is made of hardy material;
• it has a drainage hole against waterlogging;
• the drainage hole is provided with a drainage made of potsherds or gravel;
• the plant substrate is loose, humic and slightly acidic;
• the top edge of the root ball is 5 cm below the edge of the bucket.

In addition, the general care instructions for the Japanese maple, as listed above, apply.

Overwinter

The red and Japanese maples are naturally hardy. If the plant is in a tub, it should be placed on the south wall of the house. In any case, the Japanese maple copes well with temperatures down to -10 ° Celsius. Should it freeze even more, it is advisable to protect the valuable plant with a film or garden fleece. During the wintering it is important to ensure that the Japanese maple does not dry out. Therefore, it should be given a little water if it is not freezing. Should it freeze again in spring after the first shoot, the plant must be protected with a cover to avoid serious damage.

Cutting rarely required

There is hardly any other plant in which experts’ opinions on cutting differ as drastically as in the case of the Japanese and red Japanese maple. Therefore, from a neutral point of view, both convictions are presented at this point:
First opinion: Japanese maple does not tolerate pruning

The experts, who hold this conviction from their experience, justify this with the fact that the Japanese maple sometimes adopts the growth form of a shrub, but it is still a tree. Cutting creates wounds that bleed for a long time and pave the way for pathogens of all kinds. Like all trees, the Japanese maple does not sprout from old wood. That means that a hefty cut back will mean the definitive end to this exotic beauty. However, nothing speaks against removing dead branches during the growth phase and cutting out shoots that have died due to winter frost.

Second opinion: A careful cut does not harm the Japanese maple

Proponents of this belief argue that the Japanese maple is also used in bonsai art, which is based on regular pruning. You agree that radical pruning into the old wood will stop the tree from growing. However, if some young wood always remains with sleeping eyes, nothing stands in the way of a well-formed new shoot. It is essential to ensure that you do not cut too close to the sleeping eyes. The maple has developed a self-protection mechanism in which the wood always dries back a little after a cut. If there is a sleeping eye in this area, it can no longer be saved and will never drive out. In any case, a wound closure agent from a specialist retailer should be applied after the cut.

Propagation by cuttings

If you want to propagate your valuable Japanese or red Japanese maple, ideally choose the cuttings method. The best time for this work is early summer. For this purpose, one or, better still, several 10 cm to 20 cm long young shoots with 3-5 flower nodes are cut off. A disinfected razor blade is well suited for the cut. The cuttings are placed in nutrient-poor potting soil, with at least one flower knot under the ground. An optimal climate is ensured if the cuttings can germinate in a warm greenhouse. As an alternative, there is a plastic film that is placed over it. During the following weeks, the potting soil should be kept moist, but not dripping wet. After about 6 to 8 weeks, the first tender roots have formed and the cutting can be repotted. However, according to the numerous reports from amateur gardeners on this subject, it is to be feared that a maximum of 50% of the cuttings will develop into strong plants. The following method of propagation promises a little more success:

Propagation through processing

Since it is almost impossible for the red and Japanese maple to multiply by seeds, the method of grafting, which is also used in most tree nurseries, is recommended. In principle, the parts of two different plants are connected to one another. The closer the relationship between these parts of the plant, the greater the chances of success. This applies to the red Japanese maple, because the conventional green Japanese maple is used as a base, onto which the branches of the red Japanese maple are grafted. The best time for this measure is between February and April. Both parts being joined together should not have sprouted yet. So that this is secured with the Edelreisern, it is cut during the winter and kept cool and slightly damp until refined. If the rootstock has already developed shoots, this is not so dramatic. The base is first sawed off to the desired height and smoothed with a sharp knife. Now a wedge about 4 cm deep is cut into the base. Then a corresponding counter-wedge is carved on the noble veins in the same way. The trick with this method is that both pieces can be joined together seamlessly. In the next step, the two finishing partners are connected to each other with raffia and coated with tree wax. Experienced hobby gardeners carry out this measure in a room and place the new plant in soil or compost. When no more frost is to be expected after the ice saints, it becomes clear

Diseases and pests

If brown leaves appear on the red and Japanese maples, this is an indication that the culture conditions are not right. Then you have to check whether the soil is too dry or too wet, whether the plant receives too much blazing sun or too much wind. If these assumptions are not correct, it is to be feared that the Verticillum wilt has struck. This is a fungal attack that cuts off the water supply within the plant and ultimately lets it die off. Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to develop an effective remedy. In order to avoid contamination of the other plants in the garden, the infected Japanese maple including the root ball is disposed of with the garbage and never ends up on the compost.

Conclusion
They are not only an asset to Japanese gardens, but have also taken plants, parks, terraces and balconies by storm all over Europe. The red and Japanese Japanese maple is a real feast for the eyes, no matter which of its numerous cultivated forms the hobby gardener favors. In terms of care, this tree, which often resembles a shrub, hardly makes any demands. The subject of cutting is just as hotly debated among experts as it is among amateur gardeners. Propagation is basically the job of the nursery specialists. However, with a little luck and skill, enthusiastic hobby gardeners can also succeed, who can rightly be proud of their horticultural skills if they are successfully refined.