Japanese Maple Waterfall (fall color)

Lots of how to photos on this page.

Grafting is done during the winter months when the scion wood is completely dormant.  In order to graft your own Japanese maple tree you’ll need a few supplies as well as a Japanese maple seedling that you can use as a root stock.

Growing Japanese maple from seed is actually quite easy to do.  The ideal size seedling for grafting is usually a seedling that is 3/16″ in diameter.  But a little smaller or bigger will also work.  In the fall, after your seedlings have gone into dormancy, pot them up and store them outside in a protected area until you are ready to prep them for grafting.

Prepping your Japanese maple seedlings for grafting is easy.  Just bring the potted seedlings inside where it’s nice and warm and keep them watered as needed until they start to break dormancy.  Watch the buds on the seedlings.  When you first bring them in they’ll be really small and tight.  After being inside at about 70 degrees F. for 10 to 14 days the seedlings will start coming out of dormancy.  The buds will start to swell, then open, and soon you’ll see signs of little tiny leaves.

The ideal time to graft them is right before they start to produce new leaves.  That’s the only preparation that your seedlings need.  Don’t fertilize them or anything like that, just bring them inside and let them warm up for 10 to 14 days.

The other supplies that you’ll need are a really sharp knife, some grafting wax and some rubber bands that are made for grafting.  Grafting rubber bands are pretty much degradable so after being in the sun for several months they start to break down and fall of the plant.  That’s important.  You should remove the rubber bands manually about four months after you make the graft, but in case you forget it’s better to have grafting bands that are likely to fall off on their own.

If you do Google search for “grafting kit” you should be able to find a kit that comes with a grafting knife, a bar of grafting wax and a nice supply of grafting rubber bands.

The knife that you use for grafting needs to be really sharp because a dull knife will make cuts with ragged edges and those ragged edges will cause your graft to fail.

Scion.  What’s a scion?  Scion is the term used to describe the cutting that you remove from the parent plant.  A scion should only be taken from the end or tip of the branch because the scion you use should be from the current seasons growth.  You don’t want to use any wood that is older than one season when you are grafting.

Let’s get started!

Making a Grafting Cut

The goal when making a graft is to match up cambium layer to cambium layer.  The cambium layer is the light green colored tissue right below the bark.  The cambium layer is the life support system of the plant.  It would do no good to make a graft into the wood of a plant.  Your graft must be made in such a way that you are putting cambium tissue against cambium tissue.  In the above photo you can see that I am exposing the cambium tissue.

You can also see that I have wrapped my thumb with several layers of heavy duty tape.  Make sure you wrap your thumb and or any finger that could be in the way as you make your grafting cuts.  Remember, the knife that you use is really, really sharp.  Protect your thumb and or fingers by wrapping them with tape.

Trimming the Scion for grafting.

To prepare the scion for the graft you have to cut the end of the scion to a taper so it fits snugly into or against the rootstock.

Scion Wood Prepared for Grafting.

In this photo you can see how I have made the cut on the scion wood to prepare if for grafting.  The very center is wood inside the center of the plant.  If you look closely you can see the cambium tissue between the bark and the wood of the tree.

A scion ready to be inserted into the graft union.

Making a veneer graft.

This is called a Veneer Graft because you are actually grafting the scion to the side of the plant and not inserting it into the center of the plant like you would with a saddle graft or a reverse saddle graft.  I like doing veneer grafts because this process allows you to match up a lot more cambium tissue than you do with other types of grafts.

Notice how snug the scion fits into the graft union.  Air space is your enemy when grafting.  You want tissue against tissue with no air space.

Wrapping the Graft Union.

Once the scion is inserted into the graft union you have to hold it firmly in place, then start wrapping the graft with grafting rubber band.  This wrap must be tight because you are trying to apply enough pressure to firmly press the two cambium layers together.  Just wrap the band around and around, then terminate the wrap by making a little slip knot with the end of the rubber band.

A completed Japanese Maple Graft.

Almost done!  The only thing left to do is apply the grafting wax.  See my little slip knot?  Isn’t that cute?

Applying grafting wax to a Japanese maple graft.

The finishing touch is to coat the entire graft union with melted grafting wax.  When melting the wax you have to be careful to not get it too hot.  You want it just hot enough so it melts so as you apply it, it sets up quickly and doesn’t run down the stem.  If the wax is too hot it can do harm to the plant tissue.  Be sure to cover the graft union completely so no air can get into the graft union.  Air causes the tissue to get hard and brittle and the two pieces of tissue will not bond.

The little brush that I am using to apply the wax is called a flux brush.  You can pick one up that the hardware store.  A flux brush is normally used for apply flux to copper pipes before you solder them.  I think I paid 29 cents for the one that I bought.

Melting grafting wax.

I found this little candle warmer and glass dish at Walmart.  I think I paid about $8.00 for both of them.  This set up worked great.  I just cut off a chunk of the grafting wax, stood it up in the little dish, and turned on the heat.  It probably took about two hours for the wax to melt all the way down so I could work with it, so make sure you get the wax melted before you start grafting.

Questions or comments?  Post them below.  -Mike McGroarty

Cold weather isn’t the main problem with growing Japanese maples in low zones. The real issue is disruption of dormancy. Winter heat sources and late spring frosts can be deadly. Your house reflects heat off of the southern and western sides which can warm your plant, causing it to prematurely emerge from dormancy. It is best to plant on the north or east side of your house. Daylight warmth from the southern sun mixed with drastically cold nights can cause splits in the bark. Covering the trunk with a tree wrap helps.

Avoid pruning in late summer and early fall. It could encourage new growth that will never survive the bitter winter season. Shield your plant from aggressive winds. Since the roots lie relatively shallow, it is important to mulch well. This will not only prevent them from freezing, but will the roots will warm slowly in the spring. If sunshine is scarce in your area, you may find that the green varieties do better in full shade. For zones with extremely cold winters, Japanese maples can be grown in containers. Be sure to let your plant go dormant before moving it to a sheltered location (like an unheated garage) for the winter. (Never bring them inside your house. Japanese maples make terrible houseplants.) If your garage gets very cold, you will need to insulate your container or keep a heating pad set to low under it to keep your root temperature from dropping below 14 degrees. Keeping a proper temperature is key. You do not want to warm your roots too much, causing the plant to “wake up”.

Here are some hardy varieties of Japanese maple that should hold up well in cold temperatures:

Amoenum-(leaves divided up to 2/3 down the base)

• Osakazuki- This straight growing, round headed, tree has large leaves. They are green spring and summer and are well known for the intense crimson they turn during the fall. They can grow to 20 feet.

Palmates- (Leaves divided 2/3 – ¾ down the base)

• Emperor 1- These are very similar to a bloodgood, but are a little hardier. They look like what what most people think of when you say “Japanese maple”. They have the “standard”  red leaf and can reach 20 feet tall.

• Johin- Johin have thick red leaves (hints of green in the summer) and grow 10-15 feet.

• Katsura- Katsura’s grow to about 15 feet. They have beautiful light green leaves that turn bright orange in the fall. They typically have a hardiness zone of 6, but I read many posts from gardeners in colder zones who had good luck with it. One post from a gardener in Ithaca, New York (known for their long, cold winters where the temperature is often below zero) said he has a Katsura that has survived outside for over ten years.

• Beni Kawa/Beni Gawa- This maple has an upright, vase shape with dark green leaves that change into golds and reds. The bright red bark offers striking color all year long (and looks amazing against a snowy backdrop!) It will grow to 15 feet and is said to be very cold tolerant.

Dissecums- (Lace Leaf)

• Inaba Shidare- This plant will quickly grow to 5 feet. It has very dark,(red-black) foliage

• Tamukeyama- A strong, fast growing variety, its thick leaves change from green to bright red or dark purple. It will grow to about 5 feet.

• Green Snowflake- This small (4 ft) weeping lace leaf has green, snowflake shaped leaves that turn to shades of yellow or orange.

• Ao Jutan- A cascading, spreading tree with large, green leaves that turn shades of gold, orange and red in the fall. It will grow 4-6 feet high

Linearilobum- (Narrow, strap-like leaf lobes)

• Fairy Hair- Although much hardier than it looks, it might serve best as a container plant. Its wispy, hair-like leaves are a beacon to rabbits. Fairy hair grows small, 2-3 feet and green. It changes to red, orange and yellow tones in the fall.

Dwarfs-

• Beni Komanchi- Its name means “beautiful, red-haired little girl”. This little (6 ft) beauty is one tough cookie. She’s a fast grower and flaunts colorful red leaves spring through fall.

Miscellaneous Varieties-

• Pseudosieboldianum- This pseudo-Japanese maple is actually a Korean maple.  It is very similar to the Japanese maple but hardier. It can grow in zone 3 and can get very large (20-30 feet). They have beautiful green leaves that turn orange-red in the fall.

• Griseum- A Chinese maple, this ornamental tree is often referred to as a “paperbark” because of its thin, peeling, bark. It is quite hardy and will grow anywhere a sugar maple will. The leaves are blue-green and turn orange in the fall. It is slow growing- topping out at 15-20 feet.

Too much sun will cause leaf scorch and in some areas it may be necessary to grow in containers that can be moved out of intense sunshine. Often, people make the mistake of seeing sun burnt leaves and assuming the plant needs more water. Do not over water your maple! If your plant is drying out, you will notice dry leaves evenly spread throughout the plant. When too much sun is the problem, the dry leaves will only be clustered in certain areas. If leaves are severely sunburned, you may need to de-leaf the plant completely (as long as its not too late in the summer). Green varieties seem to be less susceptible to leaf scorch. however there are many varieties can withstand hot temperatures. Here’s a list of few:

Amoenum-(leaves divided up to 2/3 down the base)

• Osakazuki- Has large leaves that are green spring and summer.  They are well known for the intense crimson they turn during the fall. They can grow to 20 feet, but will stay smaller in warmer climates.

• Omato- Is very similar to Osakauki, but the color is somewhat less intense. Its a strong grower and resistant to sun damage.

Palmates- (Leaves divided 2/3 – ¾ down the base)

• Bloodgood, Red Emperor, Emperor 1- These very popular varieties are what what most people think of when you say “Japanese maple”. They have that typical red leaf and can reach 20 feet tall.

• Fireglow-This smaller version of a bloodgood, only grows to 12 feet. Its gives off an amazing glow when the sun catches its burgundy leaves. Its size makes it a good container plant.

• Glowing Embers- This will grow to about 10 ft with young red leaves fading into a bronzy gold as the seasons change.

• Sango Kaku- The sango kaku is best known for its coral red bark that turns gray with the season. Green leaves turn to a yellow-gold. Its a fast grower and can reach heights up to 25 feet tall.

• Moonfire- Moonfires look more like a tree than a shrub. Covered in dark, black-red leaves, it will grow 15-18 feet.

Matsumurae-(Leaves divided more than ¾ down the base)

• Oregon Sunset- This compact tree grows well in containers. In ground it will grow to 12 ft. Its red leaves deepen in summer, then turn an intense crimson in the fall.

• Beni Shi En-The name means“red smoke”. It is one of the few variegated varieties that grow in hotter climates. Its purple-red leaves are trimmed with gold highlights. This too, has a compact from that makes it a good container plant.

Dissecums- (Lace Leaf)

• Crimson Queen- This weeping deep red lace leaf grows in a thick, leafy mound to about 5 feet.
• Tamukeyama- A strong, fast growing variety, its thick leaves change from bright red to dark purple. It will grow to about 5 feet.

• Inaba Shidare- This plant will quickly grow to 5 feet. It boasts very dark,(red-black) foliage.

• Red Dragon- This small (4 ft) mounding plant has cascading scarlet-red leaves yearlong.

• Seiryu- The name means “blue-green dragon” It is the only true upright growing dissectum among Japanese maples. Green leaves turn to vivid gold with red highlights. This variety is very different from the cascading forms of other lace leafs. It can grow 12- 18 feet tall.

• Garnet- This unique tree is like a 6 foot upright, but has weeping red leaves flowing from the top.

Linearilobum- (Narrow, strap-like leaf lobes)

• Red Pigmy- This wispy shrub has narrow, twisting lobes- red in the spring and turns green as the temperature rises.

• Koto No Ito- At up to 7 feet tall, it has green foliage that turns orange, peach and red during fall months.

Dwarfs-

• Shaina- This globe shaped bush has beautiful two-toned red, dense foliage. It will grow to 5 feet.

• Sishigashira- Its name means“lions head”. It has glossy dense, curled leaves that are deep green leaves into fall. In late fall, after most other varieties have begun to fade, it bursts into gold, rose and crimson tones. Sishigashira holds color well in heat.

Miscellaneous Varieties-

• Shantung Maple- The Shantung is not a true Japanese maple, but the delicate leaves make it look very similar. Because this tough tree tolerates full sun, Texas A&M University designated it as a Texas Superstar Tree. This 25 foot tall tree has green and gold leafs with red flecks. The leaves turn to a stunning orange in fall. A grower in Texas used it to create the dwarf golden dragon (trademarked)- a smaller, hardy variety.

A Braided Japanese Red Maple Tree

This beautiful little tree was created by one of member/nursery owners, Thomas Propst from Newton, North Carolina.  The name of his nursery is Blue Feather Plants.  At the time that I am posting this his website is not up yet, but I’ll give you the link so when he gets his site online you can pay him a visit.  http://bluefeatherplants.com/

Thomas has done an incredible job with his Backyard Nursery since Joining my program and the creation of this tree is a testament to the passion that he has for plants.

I’ll explain the process of braiding in a second, but first take a look at the photo.  That’s three different trees braided into one.  Because these are Japanese Maple seedlings (trees grown from seed not grafted) each one is unique and not identical in a way.  Grafted plants, or plants grown from cuttings, are usually exact clones of the parent plant because they contain the exact genetics as the parent plant.  Trees grown from seed will not be an exact match to the parent plant, and in this case it’s a huge benefit because each one of these little trees is displaying a different fall leaf color.  Amazing and beautiful!

Can you imagine how interesting this tree is going to be in 20 years?  That’s why I love plants.  They bring people constant joy!

To create this tree all Thomas did was take three Japanese Red maple seedlings and pot them in the same container.  Then he braided them as you can see in the photo and secured them in place so they would stay braided.

When I am training plants I will often use duct tape to secure them in place because I have found that after about 12 months out in the weather the duct tape dries out and will eventually fall off.  That’s really important because if you use something that is non biodegradable that stays in place forever, the binding will cut into the plant and eventually girdle the plant and cause serious damage to the plant.  With duct tape, if I forget to remove a wrap, or don’t see one when I am removing them, it will usually remove it’s self at just about the right time.

Japanese Red Maple Trees are actually quite easy to grow from seed and they are hot, hot, sellers!  Detailed instructions about how to grow them from seed are here.  I need more people who would like to grow and sell Japanese Red Maple tree seedlings.  I buy thousands of them myself!  Why do I buy them if they are so easy to grow?  Because I am impatient!  I want them now, as do thousands and thousand of other plant enthusiasts around the country.

I just bought 400 of them this fall and I will order 1,000 more for spring.  Because they sell like crazy.  All of my member/backyard growers want them.   They need them!  They have customers asking for them.  They need them to sell, and they need them for grafting.  I’m telling you, this is a hot item!

But . . . if you really want to do this right and not make a bunch of mistakes that can be avoided, you have to get my Backyard Growing System.  Why?  Because as one of my customers I’ll show you where and how you can sell your plants online without a website and without any marketing of your own.  I have a lot of members who sell thousands and thousands of dollars worth of plants right from home using this resource.

Not sure?  Reluctant to make a decision?  Read this.

-Mike McGroarty

Orange Japanese Maple

Okay, this is where I start kicking my own butt!

This is what happened.

A few years ago when I wasn’t in the nursery business . . . I guess I need to explain that; (Why I got out of the nursery business.)

Anyway I wasn’t actively in the nursery business at the time, but one of my customers advertised some really nice Japanese maples for sale.  Actually two of my customers posted ads for Japanese maples so I bought a few trees from each, probably 25 trees total.  The trees came and they were beautiful!  And they were properly tagged which is really important in the plant business.

So I planted them all in one bed.  I wanted to watch them grow and to see how each differed from the others.  There are over 250 different kinds of Japanese maples so I was curious about the ones that I bought.  Most I had not grown before.  Now this is where my little experiment went wrong.  Some of the tags were hand written with permanent marker, which really isn’t permanent at all.  I knew that about permanent markers.  But you see, I wasn’t in the nursery business at the time so making sure the tags stayed legible wasn’t a super high priority for me at the time.

Two years later I go back into the nursery business, go figure.  I should have know that “not growing plants” wasn’t going to work for me.  So this past Sunday morning Pam is out on the porch and she comes in asking about one of the Japanese maples in my little garden.  She’s says; “It’s beautiful, what kind is it?”

Orange Japanese Maple

I don’t know so I go look at the tag.  Which is blank.  Completely blank.  The not so permanent marker wore off.  So this is now the dilemma that I am in.  And I constantly remind my Backyard Growers to not let this happen to them.  If I wanted to propagate this beautiful little tree I can’t!  I don’t know for sure what variety it is.  I’m really not interested in doing any grafting at this time, but I sure would like to buy 50 or 100 of these beautiful little trees for my nursery.  But I can’t!  I don’t know what variety of Japanese maple this tree is with the burnt orange leaves.

It’s not Orange Dream.  I’m pretty sure of that.  But it could be Orangeola, it could be Jeddeola Orange but I really don’t think so.  I just don’t know, and that’s the dilemma that I’m in.  Beautiful Japanese maple, but I’ll never know for sure.  All I can do is keep buying all the “Orange” Japanese maples I can find for the nursery and hope that eventually I find some like this one.

My Backyard Growers would kick my butt for letting this happen because I constantly remind them of how important properly tagged plants are.  You too should keep track of what you have in your landscape.  It’s just good to know should you ever decide to start growing and selling small plants from home.

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Commonly a Japanese maple leaf varies in coloration between green red or a purplish hue ranging to even a yellow or orange depending on the season. These colors can vary with the season with the reds orange and yellow colors generally appearing in the fall.

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The leaves themselves vary by species, with some appearing quite thin and intricate, these leaves form an almost lacy pattern and give the tree itself a real character. There are solid green leaves in some species which look very similar to a traditional maple tree save for the very precise tips at the end of each of the 5 main lobes the leaf has. There are also variations on the Japanese maple leaf that have very thin lobes which look similar to a tropical plant and extend each outward from the stem onto a very finely tipped point. In many cases classifying these leaves can be quiet difficult given the variety of species. The best way to classify a potential Japanese maple leaf is to look at the list of species or ask an expert as there are so very many different leaf variations among the different species.

These trees can be found in north America though they are not a native species to the area. As long as the tree is not exposed to cold winds it will flourish and if wrapped in burlap during the cold the leaves will remain full and the tree can remain healthy. If a Japanese maple is exposed to extreme cold it can potentially die off. It is possible to find a Japanese maple leaf in north America but keep in mind the tree was most definitely planted by someone and did not grow there naturally.

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If you see dead tan areas on a Japanese maple leaf, it is quite possible that the tree or leaves are being fed off of by aphids. Aphids can infest the Japanese maple and in some cases cause the leaves to shed prematurely. Japanese maple trees can also become scorched in direct sunlight. It is always better placed in a bit of shade as these trees can dry out quite quickly. Keeping a Japanese maple protected from the elements is crucial to it’s survival.

As you can see there are a large number of different variations on Japanese maple leaves. Keeping track of these is best done by using reference material to educate yourself on the exact formation and variations of the different species and their leaves. Keeping in mind where Japanese maples can grow can help you to identify the leaves as well, and by looking at the leaves for any signs of unhealthiness in the leaves it is possible to ensure that a Japanese maple not only survives but thrives in a garden.

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‘Waterfall’ is in the laceleaf weeping family of Japanese maples, but unlike the ones that most people are familiar with this one is not red in color.  It’s green and it is beautiful!

Japanese Maple Waterfall

This beautiful Japanese maple is right outside our dining room window.  Most of the time I spend working on a computer I work at the dining room table simply because of this view.  At the time of this writing it is April 22nd and when I looked out the window this morning I was simply mesmerized by the sight of this magnificent little tree.  So much so that I grabbed my camera and went out the door to snap some photos.

Japanese Maple Waterfall

I don’t feel that even these photos do this tree justice.  Right now the foliage is almost fluorescent green.  Very, very vivid!

I’ve had a number of these ‘Waterfall’ Japanese maples in my landscape for years.  They do really well here in zone 5 and will probably do equally well up to zone 8.  Like most dissectum Japanese maples the edges of the leaves turn slightly brown in late summer.  It is said that regular watering can prevent that, but I am always leary of telling people to water Japanese maples on a regular basis because if the soil in your yard does not drain well it’s very easy to over water them and they do not like wet feet.  Nor do they like a lot of fertilizer.  Please do not over fertilize your Japanese maples.  You can easily kill them with too much fertilizer.

Japanese Maple Waterfall (fall color)

How about that fall color?  From fluorescent green to a beautiful burnt orange!

A little shade is always beneficial to a dissectum Japanese maples because it gives the foliage a little break from the sun in at least part of the day.  It is necessary?  Not in zones 5 or 6, but in warmer zones it would be beneficial.  With that said, I grow Japanese maples in out in the field, in full sun.  All kinds of varieties and they do just fine.

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Japanese Maple Waterfall

Yep!  That’s how winter hardy Japanese maple ‘Waterfall’ is.  That’s why I love Japanese maples so much.  They are constantly changing throughout the year.  I took this snow covered photo in January of this year and just a few months later I’m enjoying the same tree covered in spectacular green leaves.  I love my job!

You too would absolutely love being in the plant business. 
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How much would a tree like this cost?  That depends on the size, but they can be pricey.  I routinely see them in garden centers for $150 up to $300, but get this;  I bought a bunch of them for less than $10.00 each.  That’s the beauty of being a member of the trade.  I actually bought some for $6.95 each and I’ll be planting those in the field this week.

Can you become a member of the trade and get these deals?
Yes you can!   Click here for details!

Japanese Maples

As well some species of Japanese maples are a little tougher and heartier than others and grow into different sizes. With over 23 species it can be very hard to keep track of all the types of Japanese maples. The following article will explain the differences between a few species of Japanese maples.

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Japanese maple cultivars have placed the species of Japanese maple into 6 groups by their leaf type:

Amoenum Group: This type of Japanese maple generally has the fullest leaves. Species such as the osakazuki are in this classification.

The leaves will resemble that of a Canadian maple but with more defined tips, in general this group is one of the more hearty forms of Japanese maple and is a bit more resistant to cold and wind.

Matumurae Group: These are considered one of the most elegant types of Japanese maple. The leaves in general are almost completely divided at the stem.

The thin leaves are large enough to give the tree real depth and it usually blooms purple towards the fall, while smaller leaves may not create the same depth of color the matumarae group has dainty leaves which are big enough to really block in the color of your garden.

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Palmatum group: These are usually found in the wild and have fairly thick leaves as well. They don’t have quite the same base as the amoenum group but they do have much finer points and an interesting color contrast between the reddish stems and the green leaves in the summer and spring.

Dwarf Group: These are much smaller forms of Japanese maple which are perfect for smaller gardens. Their leaves seem to vary, but for the most part they are all fairly thin and dainty.

A dwarf Japanese maple is great for adding a bit of color to a small garden, because it will not completely take over like some shrubs.

Dissectum group: These leaves are very lacy, almost comparable to seaweed in the thickness.

Because of this it creates a lovely texture as well as color contrast in a garden. Having a small Japanese maple from the dissectum group can change things up and draw the eye. The leaves are quite susceptible to frost, but look great when they come out.

Linearilobum group: This form of leaf resembles a tropical plant almost, with extremely pointed leaves which are divided at the base of the stem. This type of Japanese maple is great in hot conditions and can break up a garden dominated by mostly green plants.

The leaves resemble more of a bush than a tree and are great for changing the look of a garden or backyard.

As you can see there are many different types of Japanese maples. There are plenty of different options to use these trees to add a spot of color to your backyard.

By using this guide you can select the type of leaves and tree you want so that you can get the best species of Japanese maple for your personal needs.

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Where flower arrangements can bring a touch of contrast in a garden one way to compliment the look of a nice flower arrangement is to compliment it with a small tree.

One of the most colorful and unique trees you can add to your garden is the Acer Palmatum dissectum tamukeyana, or weeping Japanese maple. The following article will briefly explain some information on this plant and how to care for it.

Weeping Japanese Maple

The weeping Japanese maple is categorized as a medium sized tree or large shrub which generally reaches a height of about 8 ft with at maximum a 12 ft spread.

The leaves are shaped in a lace pattern and are colored in a purple hue during the summer months turning red towards autumn.

Because of this colorization and massive change in color throughout the seasons this tree is perfect for accenting your garden and adding color to your flower arrangements.

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When caring for a weeping Japanese maple one of the top concerns for owners has to do with the climate the tree is in. This species of tree does not do well in temperatures which reach less than negative 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

At this temperature the tree will very quickly die off. Instead the weeping Japanese maple thrives in warmer temperatures. During colder snaps and when exposed to frost and cold winds, it is always a good idea to wrap this species of tree in order to preserve its health and leaves.

Be sure that it is planted in such an area where it will not be exposed to excessive amounts of cold. As well the tree should be planted in indirect sunlight as it can dry out quite quickly if placed in direct sunlight, indirect sunlight is especially important as the tree is settling and in the early stages of growth.

"Waterfall" Weeping Japanese Maple

One of the most interesting characteristics of the tree are its long lasting leaves. Although the colors will change with the season, the weeping Japanese maple is one of the first trees to bud and bloom in the spring, as well it will be one of the last trees to lose its leaves during the colder months of winter.

With such a long lasting life of the leaves it is sure to provide color for your garden long after many of the plants die off and before annual plants have a chance to bloom.

The weeping Japanese maple is a lovely addition to any garden, providing it with lots of color, while remaining small and manageable as to not completely take over the garden itself is a huge advantage to getting one of these trees.

With the correct placement and in the right type of climate this tree is sure to thrive and provide your garden with a look which is very unique.

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The Acer Palmatum Osakuzuki is a form of Japanese maple, the leaves are a darker red and it can look great in a garden especially when complimented with a nice arrangement of flowers. The different shaped leaves create a lovely contrast unlike other maples which may bud and bloom larger more conventional leaves, which don’t particularly add much in the way of color or texture to a garden.

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In autumn this tree will begin to turn a vibrant red color which will make for a drastic color contrast in your garden. Here is some information about this species of tree.

Acer Palmatum Osakazuki (resource:http://pnwplants.wsu.edu/)

The Acer Palmatum Osakazuki, like many Japanese maples can be a bit finicky, but will thrive in the right conditions. It requires a partially shaded spot which can be protected from cold winds. A cold snap can really damage one of these trees so it is important to wrap them if you feel that the weather is going change, or that frost may be on the way.

The leaves of the Acer Palmatum Osakazuki make interesting patterns and can look beautiful when they finally come out in spring. The leaves will form a very unique pattern on the branches, quite different to many of the other trees that may be in your yard.

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The colors can be a vibrant bright red in the fall, and some of the leaves even have a partial green and red pattern to them. It really can be a standout in your garden. The tree will take a while to grow, a Japanese maple generally only grows to a height of 19 feet maximum and will take many years to eventually grow that high. It is good for a small garden because it should not take over like a larger maple may.

Planting an Acer Palmatum Osakzuki first requires choosing the right spot, where it will be protected from wind and still receive enough sunlight. Be sure to stake the tree if it is young to ensure it grows correctly. Mulch at the base is also a good idea as it can protect the tree from frost in the beginning stages.

Be sure to water it fairly consistently within the first few weeks so that it can thrive and create a good root system. Remembering to wrap the tree in burlap if the weather turns cold or frost is expected, will also protect the leaves from being lost due to cold.

Planting one of these trees can change your garden arrangement drastically and give you a nice manageable maple tree to enjoy year round without having it take over your backyard completely. With some other forms of maples, the leaves are simply uncontrollable in the fall. The Acer Palmatum Osakuzuki, once established is a fairly low maintenance and beautiful small tree.

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Make sure you want the video to the end and you’ll see why this is so important.

Just one finger is all it takes to dramatically improve the appearance of a Japanese maple tree or any other ornamental tree like Weeping Cherry, Flowering Crab Apple, Lavender Twist Redbud or any other grafted or budded plant.  Or any tree for that matter.

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Beautiful ornamental trees don’t grow that way by accident, nor do they always grow the way you want to them naturally.  They need your help.  In short, there are places on an ornamental tree where you want branches, and there are places where you do not want any new branches.  And this is where things go horribly wrong when people get a really nice ornamental plant home and install it in their landscape.  It’s beautiful!  They paid a lot of money for it, and they are afraid to touch it!  You have to touch it!  You can’t abandon it once you have it home.  It needs your attention!

It needs you to take your index finger and do some very easy, but necessary pruning.

The Most Important Pruning Tool You Own. Your Finger!

In the above photo you are looking at a new bud on a Japanese maple tree.  That bud is going to open up with leaves, then in a matter of weeks it will grow into a small branch, then over time into a very large branch.  But I don’t want a branch there.  Not there!  It’s too low on the tree.  A branch there will be laying on the ground and it will ruin the appearance of the tree.  So with just the flick of my finger I can quickly and easily brush that bud right off the tree.  That one little tiny effort will make all the difference in the world to the appearance of this tree over time.

This little bud had every intention of becoming a full grown branch.  You can see in this photo how soft and pliable this tissue is.  If you just bump one of these buds they come right off the tree.  These new buds tend to show up on the stem of ornamental trees throughout the growing season, but you’ll see more of them in the early spring.

With the flick of my finger I can make a lifetime improvement to any ornamental tree and I do this thousands of times a year in my nursery.  I just walk through the nursery and brush off any buds where I know I don’t want a branch.  This saves me from having to use hand tools to remove these branches later.  And if I do it now, when they are still just buds, there is no scare on the stem of the tree.

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You can do this.  This is a fun and interesting home based business that requires very little space.  The demand for Japanese maples of all kinds is huge and it is growing by leaps and bounds.

But there’s a problem.  Most Japanese maples are really, really expensive!  And the rare, more interesting vaieties are really hard to find.  Especially in the local areas.  Because of that I’ve started my own nursery that specializes in Japanese maples.  However, at this time I really only intend to sell mine on a local basis.  That’s great for the people who live close to me.  But what about the rest of the country?

Japanese Maple Butterfly

The people who live near you would jump at the chance to buy Japanese maples from you if they could!

Since 1999 I have been teaching people all over the world how to start their own backyard nurseries and we have incredible success stories.  People selling thousands and thousands of dollars worth of plants right from their own backyard.  But guess what they never have enough of?

Japanese maples.

The very first thing that they sell out of are Japanese maples.  People go crazy over Japanese maples and when you over them at a reasonable price people go crazy and buy them on the spot!

Here’s another secret.  There are a lot of people out there that are absolutely fanatical about Japanese maples and they will keep coming back and buying more and more and more.  Every variety that they can find, they buy!  I know.  I’m one of those people.  That’s why I got into the business.  To support my habit!   Now I’m the proud owner of thousands and thousands of Japanese maples and I am absolutely in love with them.  Is that crazy?  Maybe, but I’ll sell some of them eventually.

How much room do you need to grow and sell Japanese maples?

In your mind, picture a picnic table.  That’s how small of an area you can work with if that’s all you have.  A picnic table is approximately 4′ wide by 8′ long.  In an area that size you can fit approximately 128, #1 containers.  Most nurseries sell Japanese maples in #5, #7, or even as large as #35 containers.  The prices usually start at $75 and go up to $350 or more per plant.  And they have no problem getting those prices, but at the same, time those prices keep most people out of the market.  Many people just cannot pay those kinds of prices for a Japanese maple so they are forced to do without.

So what we as Backyard Growers do, we offer the general public smaller, but really nice plants for a lot less money and they love us for what we do.  Often times we sell small Japanese Red Maples for as low as $4.97.  But we also offer larger, or more expensive varieties for more money.  We can get up to $39.95 or maybe $49.95 for a Japanese maple in one gallon container.

Now, think about that small picnic table size area that I mentioned earlier.  128 #1 containers in that area.  You do the math.  If you have more room than that then I say “Fantastic!”

Japanese maples are a hot item and when people see them they just have to have them.  I mean they have to have them!  And that’s why I love this business so much.  You don’t have to twist anybody’s arm to sell them what you have.  They come to you, cash in hand, hoping that you still have some plants left to sell them.  Then they come back and buy more as long as your prices are reasonable.

And that’s the secret to this.  You and I, we are giving the general public an opportunity to buy one of the most beautiful plants known to man, at prices they can’t even imagine.

How long does it take to grow a Japanese Maple?

That depends.  Growing Japanese maples is a process, but I speed up the process greatly because I buy small Japanese maples on the wholesale market at deeply discounted prices and grow them on from there.  And to be perfectly honest with you, I could take those plants right out of the box and sell them on the spot the day that I receive them.  But I don’t because by growing them on for another year, two or three I can get a lot more money for them.  Me?  I’ll probably sell most of mine for $90 or more.  I have some lower priced ones that I might sell for as low as $4.97.  I only paid $1.35 for those so even at that price I’m making great money.  But those who come to buy the $4.97 Japanese Red Maples are likely to fall in love with my more expensive plants.

I know what you’re thinking.

“Come on Mike!  Does this really work?”

I’ll tell you a story about a guy named Andy.  Andy is a customer of mine.  He bought my Backyard Growing System.  Andy found a source for all kinds of really rare Japanese maples and offered them for sale on this private site that I’ll tell you about later.  I watched and followed along as Andy took orders for these Japanese maples.  Actually, I was doing the math.  Andy had two prices.  $11 and $13.  After about a week Andy excited posted that he had sold over 1,000 plants.  In a week!

So I congratulated him on selling $11,000 worth of plants in a week.  During the winter!  And he was dumbfounded.  He was so busy taking orders it didn’t sink in that he took in $11,000 in a week until I pointed it out to him.  That winter I only bought about 20 plants from Andy so this little Japanese maple garden.

Japanese Maple Garden

Japanese Maple Garden

I said that Andy was my customer right?  Well guess what?  Now I am Andy’s customer!  In the past two years I have purchased over $6,000 worth of Japanese maples from Andy because his prices are great and his plants are really rare, and really nice.  I mean really nice.  Lots of our members buy from Andy and those plants are some of the first plants they sell out of.  They never seem to buy enough.

Will this work where I live?

Good question.  Most Japanese maples do well in zones 5 through 8 which covers a large part of the United States.  If you are zone 4 or below (brrrrrrrrrr) you might be able to do this, but I would consider it risky.  If you are zone 9 or warmer, I think the sun is too bright and the heat too instense for raising Japanese maples.  Check your zone here.

Of course you can create protected environments with shade or even with a greenhouse, but I don’t do any of that.  I buy small plants and grow them in full sun here in Ohio.  And we do get some really hot days during July and August.  And of course our winters can be pretty brutal as well.

How many different ways are there to make money with Japanese maples?

Ahhhh!  Allow me to count the ways.

1.  Seeds.  You can make money collecting and selling Japanese maple seeds.  There are always people looking for fresh Japanese maple seeds.  You can probably get the seeds free from a tree or several trees in your neighborhood.  I have several trees in this area that do not belong to me, but I have permission to collect seeds from those trees.

2.  Seedlings.  There’s a huge market for Japanese maple seedlings.  Japanese maples are easy to grow from seed and other growers like me are always looking for seedlings they can buy.  Seedlings with green leaves are usually sold to people who want to graft onto those seedlings.  Seedlings with good red color can be sold just about anywhere.  I just ordered 2,000 Japanese Red maple seedlings.  Some I got for $1.06 some I paid $1.35 for.

Think about that.  $1.35 for something that you grew from seed and you can sell hundreds at at time to one customer!  And get this.  I put those seedlings with deep red color in the field and in a few years I can easily get $50 each for them!  By then they are usually about 42″ tall.

Japanese maples with deep red colored leaves usually produce seedlings with good red color.  They won’t all be red, but many will and even the green ones fetch a good price because the grafters need them.  I’ll tell you how you can easily find buyers for your seedlings.

3.  Small grafted Japanese maples are super hot sellers!  That’s right, if you want to try your hand at grafting (it’s easier than you think) you can grow the really rare varieties that people like me and other growers buy.  Growers like me buy hundreds of grafted Japanese maples at a time.  I already told you that in the past two years I’ve purchased over $6,000 worth of grafted trees from Andy.  But I also buy from at least one other source and spend thousands and thousands of dollars with them as well.

I’ve got a customer who bought my Backyard Growing System several years ago.  She admitted that she had never grown anything before, but since I was offering a money back guarantee she took a chance.  Jen has done incredible well!  She is now an expert at grafting Japanese maples and when she came to visit she brought this rare Japanese maple as a gift for my wife Pam.

Japanese Maple Asahi Zuru

Japanese Maple Asahi Zuru

Today Jen specialize in growing and grafting Japanese maples and sells to the wholesale market.

4.  You can make money buying and re-selling Japanese maples.  That’s what Andy does.  He buys them wholesale and actually re-sells them wholesale.  I’ve got a lot of sources where you can buy Japanese maples wholesale, but I will also show you how to find other wholesale suppliers that I don’t even know about.  I know where they are, but I haven’t had the time to track them down.  But I’ll show you how to do that.  There might be one close to you, depending upon where you live.

We’ve got another member that found a guy that had a surplus of a really popular Japanese maple and he bought and re-sold a ton of them.  I’m still kicking myself for nodding off on that deal!  He was selling them for about $3.40 if I remember correctly.  I’m waiting for him to make that offer again.  The only reason I didn’t buy right away when he offered them last year is because I had hundreds and hunreds of Japanese maples that I had just bought and I wasn’t sure that I’d have room for them.  When I finally tried to buy 100 of them he was already sold out.  Dang!

5.  You can do like I do.  I buy small Japanese maples and grow them on to sell for $90 or more.  Landscapers love to use Japanese maples in their designs and they are more than willing to pay $150 to $350 for a nice trees.  Landscaping is very, very expensive and people that are willing to spend $20,000 or more on a landscape want the best plants on the market.  They also want plants that their neighbors don’t have.  That’s why I plan to sell my Japanese maples at a larger size and mostly to the wholesale market.

Think Picnic Table!

For right now just think about what I said about starting out in an area about the size of a picnic table.  You can grow your home business to any size you want, but it’s easier to just think about a business about the size of picnic table.

There’s another advantage to starting out with an area about the size of a picnic table.  With a little tiny nursery that size you can consider it a hobby and depending upon where you live that might be to your advantage.  Anytime you start a home based business you have to think about any restrictions that might apply to neighborhood, such as zoning or home owner association restrictions.  If you keep it small your neighbors won’t even pay any attention to what you are doing.

This is a very interesting Japanese maple that has a natural weeping habit.  When staked to grow upright, which really is necessary to get the tree to grow to any height at all, the branches are truly pendulous and weep straight to ground like water flowing over a dam.

The deep green leaves emerge a light green and as the season progresses they take on a very deep green color.  But come fall the tree comes alive with a display of orange and red colors that really catch the eye.

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and Selling Small Japanese Maples.  The demand is growing.

Ryusen does well in zones 5 -8 but actually tolerates the heat and sun better than most Japanese maples, making this an excellent plant for warmer climates.  Like all Japanese maples it likes to be planted in good, rich soil that drains well.

Acer palmatum Ryusen

Japanese Maple Ryusen

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Believe it or not, the Japanese maple in this photo is a birthday cake!

Japanese Maple Birthday Cake

Many of our customers know Taylor.  She is our customer service specialist and handles all of our incoming Email.  Taylor is warm and friendly, extremely helpful.  People really, really like and appreciate Taylor.  But nobody appreciates her as much as I do.  She does a great job and makes my life so much easier.

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But what most people don’t know, and I just recently discovered, Taylor is extremely talented and makes some awesome birthday cakes.  She wanted to stop by on my Birthday and she showed up with this incredible Birthday cake that looks just like a Japanese maple!  Yes, the leaves and the pot are edible!  The cake is inside the pot!

I know many of you are going to ask a bunch of questions about how she does this and what she uses, and I’ll let her explain it.  She explained it to me, but all I remember was how good the cake was.  Oh yeah, I did eat a leaf or two as well!

So there you have it, a Japanese maple birthday cake.  Fire off the questions and I’ll let Taylor take it from here.

Red Dragon is a lace leaf weeping Japanese maple with deep red leaves.  In the spring this dwarf tree puts on a display of brilliant red leaves that are delicated cut, much like most other dissectums.  As summer arrives the leaves turn a deep red to almost purple and hold that color all summer long right into the fall.

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Not as widely known as Crimson Queen, Ever Red, or Inaba Shadaire this newer variety is said to hold is deep red color better than all the others.  Being in the dissectum family it has that traditional weeping habit along with those highly desireable lace leaves.

Hardy in zones 5 through 8, some sources say it will even do well in zone 9.  Plant in rich soil that contains decomposed organic matter.  The soil must be well drained.  Japanese maples do not like to get their feet wet!

Acer palmatum dissectum Red Dragon

Acer palmatum Red Dragon

Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maple Red Dragon

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Peaches and Cream Japanese Maple

Wow!  That was my expression when my four little Peaches and Cream Japanese maples started making leaves.  In the fall I usually place an order for several thousand Japanese maples, always looking for varieties that I don’t have.  The trees are usually delivered in March, completely dormant.  I unpack them and store them in an under ground bunker until it’s time to plant in the spring.  Come spring we start planting while the trees are still dormant, so it’s really exciting when they start making leaves because you never know what to expect.

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Acer palmatum Peaches and Cream

When I saw the leaves on those Peaches and Cream I was like a kid in the candy store.  Since I only had four I actually dug them up right after planting and took them home and planted them in my little Japanese maple garden at home.  Then this fall I ordered an additional 50 Peaches and Cream!

There are so many incredibly beautiful Japanese maples that it’s really hard to pick a favorite.  They are all favorites for different reasons.  But Peaches and Cream is definitely one that I will be keeping a close eye on.

Japanese Maple Peaches and Cream

I am posting these pictures early in the year 2012 and I wish I had taken better photos, earlier in the year.  But these photos do show off the variegation pattern in the leaves and some of the coloring.  But I took these photos late in the year and by then the leaves had been stressed on these young trees.

But I still remember that beautiful Peachy Cream color the leaves had early in the spring and I promise to post some updated photos here as soon as I get them.

Peaches and Cream is hardy in zones 5 -8 and seldom gets over 7′ tall or wide which really makes it a special little tree.  Plant in well drained soil.

Acer palmatum Peaches and Cream

Japanese Maple Peaches and Cream

Japanese Maple Peaches and Cream

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Oshio Beni is a considered a favorite upright tree among Japanese maple enthusiasts.  With a maximum height of 15′ or so it doesn’t grow quite as tall as other upright rights.   Spring color is red with a hint of orange but quickly deepen to a deep purple.  It holds it color pretty well through the season taking on a little green by the end of summer.  But as soon as fall rolls in the leaves turn a strking red and they hold that color all through fall until they drop.

Seeds from Oshio Beni tend to produce seedlings with good red color.

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This tree is happiest in zones 5 through 8 and should be planted in well drained soil that is high in organic matter.  This tree is a great choice if you desire that deep red color.

Acer palmatum Oshio Beni

Acer palmatum Oshio Beni

Japanese Maple Oshio Beni

Japanese Maple Oshio Beni

Japanese Maple Oshio Beni

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Breath taking.  That’s all, absolutely breath taking.   I am so seduced by this tree I don’t even know where to start.  This is an upright variety and considered one of the best variegated upright varieties and I have to agree.  Being among the upright varieties of Japanese maples it has the ability to reach 15′ to 20′ high, but if that doesn’t work for you, you can easily keep it trimmed to a lower height.   Keep in mind, the more you trim trees like this when they are small the more densely they branch and the more foliage you see.   With Orido Nishiki that’s a huge benefit because the foliage is spectacular.

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When I first planted this tree I had no idea what to expect.  I had over a thousands trees to plant and they were all dormant and pretty much looked like a pile of twigs.  Even though I knew better than that and I knew I was planting some of the most desirable Japanese maples on the market, this tree really caught me by surprise when it started making leaves.

The new growth emerges with an array of colors!

Many Japanese maples change colors as the season progress, but this tree comes out of the gate with a multitude of colors ranging from pink, green, red, cream and almost pure white.  As the season goes on and more new growth appears the fireworks continue to explode.  Obviously, I really, really like this tree.

This tree is best suited for zones 5 through 8.  Will it grow in zone 4 or zone 9?  I’m sure it will but in zone 4 there is a risk of freeze damage, even though I know am not immune to that in Ohio.  I just take the chance because I wouldn’t be without some of these beautiful trees.  In zone 9 or warmer I really don’t know what to expect.  Japanese maples need a dormancy period which means that by the end of November they need to experience at least one hard freeze.  Not a frost, but a hard freeze below 32 degrees F. for a period of several hours.

Soil is best if high in organic matter and it has to be well drained.  They will not tolerate soggy roots.

Acer palmatum Orido Nishiki

Acer palmatum Orido Nishiki

Acer palmatum Orido Nishiki

Acer palmatum Orido Nishiki Variegated

Japanese Maple Orida Nishiki

Japanese Maple Orida Nishiki

Japanese Maple Orido Nishiki Variegated

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Orangeloa is best known for it’s orange color but this magnificant tree is really a color wheel with roots!  The new foliage emerges in the spring with a red to orange cast to the leaves.  As summer moves in the leaves take on more of a green tint and then appear almost purple.  Then more new growth appears with that redish orange tinge, layered over top of the summer color.  Then as fall approaches the leaves turn red, then a brilliant orange.

That’s why I am so much in love with Japanese maples.  They change.  Constantly changing, showing off their individual personalities.

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Orangeola is a member of the dissectum family which means that it is laceleaf and a weeping habit.  Unlike most dissectums Orangeola tends to grow a little higher than it does wide.  In time it could reach 8′ high, but with regular pruning which I highly recommend I’d say most will be 42″ to 48″ high unless you really want the extra height, then you’d have to stake it upright and train it to grow that way.

Most all of my dissectum maples I allow to grow in that mushroom shape that they prefer, but I do prune them at least twice a year, just a little to make sure they maintain a really attractive shape.

Orangeola will grow in zones 5 through zones 9.   It does well in full sun, but some shade won’t hurt a thing.  Too much shade and it won’t grow well and you won’t see much color.  As with all Japanese maples the soil should be rich in organic matter and well drained.  Being well drained is the most important part, they do not like wet feet.

Acer palmatum dissectum Orangeola

Acer palmatum Orangeola

Japanese Maple Orangeola

Japanese Maple Orangeola

Japanese Maple Orangeola

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Color?  Would you like to add some distinctive color to your landscape?  Orange Dream will do that.  This tree comes alive in the spring with a burst of Orange leaves that have a hint of red, then as summer moves in the tree takes on more of a green color only to change to a burnt orange by fall.  Orange Dream is not easily found at your local garden centers and even on the internet it seems to be pretty rare.

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Orange Dream is often grown as more of a shrub than a tree because it is fairly slow growing and when grown in shrub form the display of color is truly vibrant because so many more leaves are visible at a glance.  The photos taken here are all fall color.  I’ll make it a point to some images with spring color on this page soon.

Like most Japanese maples Orange Dream needs sunlight to color up the leaves, but up to about 50% shade would probably be fine.  I grow thousands of Japanese maples in full sun and we get along just fine.  As is the case with all Japanese maples well drained soil that is high in organic matter would be ideal.  These do well in zone5.  Can they be grown in zone 4?  Probably, but there is some risk involved.

Acer palmatum Orange Dream

Japanese Maple Orange Dream

Japanese Maple Orange Dream

Japanese Maple Orange Dream

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This upright, deep red, almost purple, Japanese maple is an excellent choice when you are looking for an upright tree that can easily reach 12 to 15 feet tall.  The leaves emerge in the spring with a deep red color that holds well all summer long, all the way into the fall.  Some seem to think this tree is superior to Bloodgood for hotter climates.  The plant that I have featured in this photo is growing in our nursery, in full sun.  The small spots on the leaves are harmless and the result of overhead watering in the nursery.  For the most we try to do all of our watering really early in the day but our first year at the new location was a bit of a challenge.  We had to have a new well installed, irrigation lines installed and as all of that was happening we watered when we could.  Despite those mid day waterings our Japanese maples held up well considering they were also freshly transplanted into the nursery.  Despite all of that, they held up incredibly well and I promise you new photos of “Moon Fire’ coming soon.

Acer palmatum Moonfire

Japanese Maple Moonfire

Japanese Maple Moonfire

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My fascination with Japanese maples goes way back and without even consciously knowing what I was doing I started collecting them.  One by one I add new ones to my landscape.  Not because I really wanted a collection, I just really, really liked them so every chance I got to pick up a new one I’d do so.  Then one December day my wife and I went out to look at a couple of houses, not really considering ourselves currently in the market for a house, we were really just looking at floor plans and ideas, and on the spur of the moment we bought a house.  In the middle of December.

At that time the Japanese maple collection that I had was not very extensive but I definitely had more in my yard than most people do.  Because we hadn’t really planed to move so quickly I only had time to dig one of my Japanese maples and bring it with me.  The rest stayed with the old house.

As soon as spring arrived at the new house, I really missed the landscaping I had at the old place so Pam and I went to work, re-landscaped the house and over the first two years I added a number of Japanese maples to my new landscaping.  Varieties that I’d never seen before.  No doubt about it I was falling in love with these magnificent trees.

Then a couple of my Backyard Nursery customers advertised a really wide selection of Japanese maples for sale in our private group so I ordered a bunch of them.  Not sure how many, I just ordered some of the varieties that I was curious about.  When they arrived I planted all of them in my landscaping at the end of the front porch.  It was a great place for them because I spent a great deal of time on the porch, just looking over the railing admiring my little trees, marveling at how each one differed from the others.  That was the beginning of what I guess you can call an obsession and an entrepreneurial experience because I have since gotten back into the nursery business and I now have thousands of Japanese maples growing in my nursery.

The photos on this page are of my small Japanese maple garden at my house.

Japanese Maple Garden

Japanese Maple Garden

Japanese Maple Garden

Japanese Maple Garden

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Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’  Lion’s Head Japanese Maple

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Lion’s Head Japanese maples are rare and usually difficult to find.  Often times carrying a price tag of $350 to $600 or more.  I got lucky!  Twice.  I have a friend that owns a wholesale nursery and a retail garden center and they specialize in a lot of unique and interesting plants.   Several years ago, late in the season I stopped by the garden center and put together a small selection of really small Japanese maples.  I got one Golden Full Moon, one Goshiki Shidare and a really small Lions Head.  I don’t remember exactly what I paid but it wasn’t much, less than $200 for all three of these rare trees.  Could have been a lot less than that.  Might have been only $125, I really don’t remember.

I planted the Lion’s Head right in front of the front porch where we spend a great deal of time during the summer and I just love to admire that small tree.  Most of the photos on this page are of that tree in my landscape.  I’m not sure what it is that makes looking at this tree so addictive.

Even though it is a Japanese maple, most novice gardeners wouldn’t recognize it as such.  The leaves are a rich green color.  They are not dissected, but instead crinkled.  Jagged on the edge, small in size and some of them curl under.  My tree has been in the landscape for about 6 years now and it’s still only about 30″ tall, but it has a really nice head on it.

But what I find the most interesting is the branching habit.  From the porch I can see into the tree and can see the horizontal branches that are slightly twisted.  I really can’t find the words to describe this wonderful little tree, all I know is that it memorizes me!

Then about a year ago one of my Backyard Growers who is now our “go to person” for rare Japanese Maples had some Shishigashira and I grabbed ten or fifteen of them for the nursery at only $30 each.  So both of those deals were really rare finds.  Enjoy the photos.

Lion's Head Japanese Maple

Lion's Head Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum Shishigashira

Acer palmatum Shishigashira

Japanese Maple Lion's Head

Japanese Maple Lion's Head

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Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Lion Heart’ is a lace leaf weeping Japanese maple that comes out in the spring with brilliant red color.  I have a few of these, still quite small in my nursery and I was amazed at the fall color as I took these pictures.  I have these small plants growing in full sun and they held up really well which speaks volumes for a plant with the delicately cut lace leafs shown on this amazing little Japanese maple.  This is for sure a plant that I will keep my eye on.

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Acer palmatum dissectum Lion Heart

Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maple Lion Heart

Laceleaf Weeping Japanese Maple Lion Heart

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Michael J. McGroarty
Perry, Ohio 44081  Copyright 2011

]]> http://japanesemaplelovers.com/japanese-maple-lion-heart/feed/ 2 http://japanesemaplelovers.com/japanese-maple-lemon-lime-lace/ http://japanesemaplelovers.com/japanese-maple-lemon-lime-lace/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:39:50 +0000 Mike http://japanesemaplelovers.com/?p=480 Continue reading →]]> Japanese Maple Lemon Lime Lace

Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Lemon Lime Lace’ is a rare, but interesting Japanese maple.  The bright green, delicately cut leaves and weeping habit make it the ideal plant for a patio or water garden setting.  Similar to Waterfall, this beautiful tree tops out at about 48″ but can get as wide as ten feet with a beautiful mounding appearance.  Fall color is a striking and brilliant yellow.

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Japanese Maple Lemon Lime Lace

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Michael J. McGroarty
Perry, Ohio 44081  Copyright 2011

Acer palmatum ‘Kotohime’ is a slow growing Japanese maples that stays small, seldom exceeding 48″ high.  The small multi-shaped leaves come out in the spring deep green in color.  By fall, the leaves start turning color, going through a range of burnt orange and bronze.  The dwarf nature of this tree makes it a must have Japanese maple that every collector should have in their garden.

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Acer palmatum Kotohime

Japanese Maple Kotohime

Japanese Maple Kotohime

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]]> http://japanesemaplelovers.com/japanese-maple-kotohime/feed/ 1 http://japanesemaplelovers.com/acer-palmatum-dissectum-inaba-shidare/ http://japanesemaplelovers.com/acer-palmatum-dissectum-inaba-shidare/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:13:30 +0000 Mike http://japanesemaplelovers.com/?p=457 Continue reading →]]> Michael J. McGroarty
Perry, Ohio 44081  Copyright 2011

Japanese Maple Inaba Shidare is one of my long time favorites.  It’s from the family of Lace Leaf Japanese Maples with a weeping habit and cascading branches.  Bright red colored leaves in the spring turn a dark crimson red in the summer.  Inaba Shidare holds it’s summer in the heat better than a lot of other Japanese maples.  In the fall, just before the leaves drop for the season, this tree is on fire with a brilliant red color.  With regular pruning, at least once a year, it will maintain a nice compact head that weeps almost to the ground.  It seldom grows much more than 48″ high.

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Acer palmatum dissectum Inaba Shidare

Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maple Inaba Shidare

Laceleaf Weeping Japanese Maple Inaba Shidare

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Acer palmatum ‘Higasayama’ is an incredibly interesting Japanese maple for sure.  The new growth in the spring is spectacular for sure, and hard to describe.  The only photos that I have to share at this time are late summer/fall photos, but you can bet I’ll be out in the nursery with my camera this spring snapping away.

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Higasayama is an upright grower but rarely reaches fourteen feet tall.  The foliage seems to change throughout the growing season with the blast of spring color, medium green summer color, then reddish-pink in the fall.  The leaves have five lobes with a jagged edge, but not delicately cut like dissectums.

Acer palmatum Higasayama Variegated

Japanese Maple Higasayama Variegated

Japanese Maple Higasayama Variegated

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Acer palmatum ‘Hefner’s Red’ is an upright Japanese maple similar to and, according to some, superior to Bloodgood.  It’s a compact grower, comes out in the spring with vibrant red leaves and turns to a very deep red as summer approaches.  Hefner’s Red does a great job of holding that deep red color right into the fall and even holds it’s color when shaded.  Hefner’s Red Japanese Maple only gets ten to twelve feet high and, as with all small trees, it can be kept trimmed to a lower height if that’s what you need.

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Acer palmatum Hefner's Red

Japanese Maple Hefner's Red

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Acer japonicum ‘Green Cascade’ is really an interesting Japanese maple.  Looks like an upright grower, but the branches are pendulous.  Comes out in the spring with vivid green color but as fall approaches it morphs into an array of yellow and red colors.  The leaves are cut similarly to a dissectum, but not quite as intricate.  It has a bit more of a coarse texture.  The wood and buds are very much like Golden Full Moon which is also in the japonicum family.

A really nice Japanese maple that I am excited to watch mature.

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Acer japonicum Green Cascade

Japanese Maple Green Cascade

Japanese Maple Green Cascade

Japanese Maple Green Cascade

Japanese Maple Green Cascade

Japanese Maple Green Cascade

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Scion is a term used in conjunction with plant propagation, more precisely, grafting as a means of plant propagation.  Usually when you are propagating plants you take “a cutting” from the parent plant and, through a variety of means, get that cutting to produce roots and grow onto a mature plant that is identical to the parent plant.

However, some plants are not as easily as propagated as others and the cuttings won’t, or in many cases, are very difficult to root.  So in those cases, such as with Japanese maples, instead of trying to root cuttings, the propagator actually grafts a piece of one plant to another plant that already has roots.

The part of the plant that has roots is usually a seedling, a plant grown from seed, known as root stock in the nursery industry.   The “cutting” that is removed from the parent plant is called a scion.  The scion is grafted to rootstock.  The two plant pieces bond together and grow on a single plant.  Usually a very desirable plant.

The first time I saw Goshiki Shidare I was in love!  I became so enthralled with this amazing Japanese maple that I now have three of them in my landscape.  Not my nursery, in my landscape!  Why?  Because even though all three of them are Goshiki Shidare, which is part of the dissectum family of Japanese maples, they are all different.  One of them is shorter than the other two, which really doesn’t matter, but having varying heights just adds more interest to the landscape.

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But the amazing part is that the foliage on each tree is different.  Goshiki Shidare is a variegated Japanese maple, so the foliage throughout the tree varies considerably.   When they are grafted the scions are collected from all over the tree and apparently, since the variegation varies from branch to branch on the tree, some of those variations stay with each scion that is collected.  That makes each offspring slightly different than the others.

As you’ll see in the photos on this page these trees change color throughout the growing season.  One of mine has a bronze cast to it in the fall, one is almost pink in color in the early spring and the other has an inordinate amount of white in the variegated leaves which makes it quite striking.

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

Acer palmatum Goshiki Shidare

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Acer japonicum ‘Aureum’, Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple is a different kind of a Japanese maple.  First of all, it has golden or yellow leaves that start out in the spring almost a fluorescent green that look like velvet as you walk by.  This is an upright Japanese maple, but it’s not from the more popular palmatum family of upright maples.  This one is from the japonicum family of upright maples, which are much more rare and difficult to find.

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The wood of the branches and the bark are also very different from the palmatum varieties.  Not necessarily unique or eye catching, just different.  But all in all, this is a very nice tree and a favorite in my landscape.

Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple

Acer japonicum Golden Full Moon

Acer shirasawanum Aureum

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Garnet is a variety of the Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maples that is special to me because the very first Japanese maple in my landscape was Garnet.  I got the tree from a local nursery that couldn’t sell it because the entire back half of the tree was broken out.  In time that sad looking tree became the most spectacular plant you could ever ask for.

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My First Japanese Maple!

As you can see from the above picture my sorry looking, broken down Japanese maple did me proud.  This photo was taken in the late summer and as you can see this tree held it’s color well.  Of course, the new growth in the spring is nothing short of a spectacular red; even into the fall it still has good color.  This is an old photo that was scanned many years ago, so there are some quality issues with the photo as well.

In the next two photos you can see the exceptional red color, and these are fall photos as well.

Acer palmatum dissectum Garnet

Laceleaf Weeping Japanese Maple Garnet

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I find ‘Filigree Lace’ to be an very interesting Japanese maple.  Although a member of the dissectum family, this particular maple appears to be unique to most dissectums.  It has a lime green color, deeply cut leaves, and even though it is a weeping variety, it does appear to grow upright, then cascade.  The current photo that I have isn’t spectacular by any means but the only plant that I have is quite small. I’ll get some better photos soon.

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Japanese Maple Green Filigree Lace

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‘Ever Red’ is in the dissectum family of Japanese maples, which means that not only is this a weeping tree, but it also has that almost magical cut leaf or lace leaf, as it’s often called.  There are a number of lace leaf varieties available, but Ever Red is a long time favorite of many.  In the spring Ever Red comes out of the gate with a brilliant raging red color that is sure to catch the eye.  Coupled with the lacy leaves and the brilliant spring color, this plant will attract attention in your yard.

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As the summer goes on Ever Red is considered one of the best dissectum varieties because it is notorious for holding onto that deep red color, better than some of the other varieties.  As the season progresses the red color deepens, and by late summer this tree has more of a maroon color than red.  But then just as the growing season is about to come to a close, this beautiful Japanese maple turns a striking red in color.  So bright it almost looks fluorescent or neon.

The Ever Red Japanese maple has a growing habit that is mounded or, as I like to train mine, mushroom or umbrella shaped.  Like all plants they need to be trimmed at least once, if not twice a year, so they maintain a nice shape and grow tight and compact.  Although a little shade might be preferred, I’ve grown them with great success in full sun.

All in all, Ever Red is very much a desirable plant for just about any landscape.

Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maple Ever Red

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Acer palmatum ‘Corallinum’ is in the family of upright growing Japanese maples.  This particular variety is known for it’s burst of color in early spring with new leaves that are very much a light pink in color.  By June or July the leaves turn green, but usually early in August there’s more new growth, and more pink leaves.  The August growth is interesting because the new pink leaves contrast nicely against the more mature green leaves from spring.

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If you look closely the leaves have a mild speckled pattern to them, adding even more interest to this tree.  Corallinum is a slow grower and has a very dense branching habit.  I like Japanese maples that are dense because it makes for more of a splash of color in the garden.

Acer palmatum Corallinum

Both of these photos were taken well into the fall, and you can see how pretty the new growth is staged against the green leaves.  This is another example of a Japanese maple that constantly changes throughout the growing season.

Japanese Maple Corallinum

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Michael J. McGroarty
Perry, Ohio 44081 Copyright 2011

‘Butterfly’ is a spectacular small, upright Japanese maple from the palmatum family that is sure to dazzle the eye.  Slow growing and often dwarf in appearance, ‘Butterfly’ has a very interesting display of leaf sizes and shapes.  Not to mention the vivid variegations and the array of colors that this tree presents.

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Butterfly has a bark that is almost lime green in color with greyish overtones.  To say that this tree is a dense grower would be an understatement.  It grows so dense and thick that reaching into the head of the tree would be difficult at best.  From the time the leaves form in the spring until they drop at the start of winter, this tree is an ever changing display of pinks, greens, cream and magenta.

This is just one of several trees in my collection that has a spell over me.  I wish I could explain it better, but I can’t.  I have one in my landscape that is just outside of the garage, so I walk past this tree many times a week and cannot pass by without admiring it’s beauty.

Enjoy!

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'

Acer palmatum Butterfly

Butterfly Japanese Maple

Butterfly Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'

Japanese Maple Butterfly

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'

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Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ is an upright Japanese maple that is known for it’s deep red, almost purple color.  Bloodgood is a wildly popular tree that tends to hold it’s red color throughout the growing season.  The origin of Bloodgood isn’t exactly known, but it has been in production in the United States since before 1940.

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Bloodgood is one of the few Japanese maples that is commonly propagated from a rooted cutting, whereas most Japanese maples are grafted onto a hardy root stock.  However, I’d still have to say that many, if not the majority, of bloodgood are still grafted since rooting them is not easy. Only a few propagators in the country really know how to do so with predictable success.

At this time I only have two photos of Bloodgood and admittedly, neither are very good pictures.  They were taken late in the growing season.  These trees had been in winter storage then planted out in the field in April, and as you can see from these photos the leaves are a little stressed.  I will add better photos to this page in spring 2012.

Acer palmatum Bloodgood

Japanese Red Maple Bloodgood

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Japanese Maple Asahi Zuru

The photo shown above was taken late in the summer after pruning, so most of the variegation is not obviously apparent.  My wife and I have been pruning this tree for several years so as it matures it will have a desirable shape with a full head of foliage.

Acer palmatum Asahi Zuru

This photo from the same tree shows some of the creamy pink leaves.

Japanese Maple Asahi Zuru

This photo really shows off the variegation within the leaves and the contrast against the solid, but light colored green leaves.

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What do I need to know before I plant my beautiful Japanese maple?

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Start out by picking the ideal location in your yard.  If you have an upright growing Japanese Maple like Bloodgood, Oshi Beni or Atropurpureum, you should keep in mind that your tree could reach a height and width of twenty feet or more.  They can be pruned to keep them smaller, but pruning would have to be done on a regular basis.  If you have one of the dissectum weeping varieties like Crimson Queen, Inaba Shidare or Ever Red, then you have a tree that is not likely to grow more than 48″ tall, but can get quite wide.  As wide as ten or twelve feet in time.

It’s important to consider what your mature tree is going to look like because you want to make sure it will have enough room to spread it’s wings, so to speak.

Also think about sun requirements.  Most Japanese maples, especially those with red or variegated leaves, need ample sunlight to maintain that beautiful foliage But, they also prefer to receive at least some shade as the day goes on.  However, with that said, in my landscape and in the nursery I have almost all of my Japanese maples in full sun.  I’m sure they’d prefer a little break from the sun in the afternoon, but they do just fine in full sun.

Most important of all is the condition of the soil where you intend to plant your tree.  Japanese maples, like most plants, like soil that is really rich in decomposed organic matter.  Well composted leaf mold or well rotted cow manure worked into the soil is ideal.  If you have really good topsoil in your yard, that’s perfect.   What they don’t like is hard compacted clay soil that does not drain well.  Japanese maples will not tolerate wet soil and will fail in a matter of months, if not weeks, if you plant them in an area where their roots are wet all the time.

If your yard is made of of heavy clay soil, the ideal thing to do is build a raised planting bed by bringing in good topsoil and building a bed on top of the existing clay.  You don’t have to remove any clay, and you don’t even have to disturb the clay at all.  Just place good topsoil on top of the clay, building the bed to a height of at least 10″ above the clay.  If you have clay soil, building these raised beds is the best thing you can do for all of the plants in your landscape.

When building the raised bed you don’t have to use bricks, stone, rocks or lumber to retain the soil in the bed.  It’s just not necessary.  Just build up the bed and taper the edges down to the existing soil.  I’ve landscaped over 500 homes and I’ve done almost all of them this way.  I do not like beds that have hard borders.  Eventually you are going to want to change or enlarge the bed as the plants mature, and the borders will be in your way.

Planting a Japanese maple that is in a plastic container

1.  Remove the tree from the container.  It should slip out of the container easily, but if it doesn’t, then there are probably roots growing out of the weep holes in the bottom of the container, and you might have to cut these roots to release the tree from the container.

2.  Once you have the tree out of the container, examine the root ball.  Look for roots that have grown out to the edge of the root ball, then when they hit the container started growing around the inside of the container in a circular pattern.  If you see these kinds of root patterns on the root ball of your tree, you should interrupt that pattern of root growth by pulling those roots away from the root ball.  If they are so heavily matted and intertwined with the rest of roots and you simply cannot get your fingers in there to loosen and pull the roots apart, then you need to take more drastic action and do some cutting of the roots.

With a sharp knife make about three vertical cuts from the top of the root ball to the bottom of the root ball.  In the process of making these vertical cuts, you will sever the roots that are circling the outer edge of the root ball.  What this does is break that pattern of the roots growing in a circle, as well as stops them from growing back inside of the root ball.  Making these cuts actually stimulates the tree to produce new fibrous roots that will quickly establish themselves into the soil after you plant the tree.  If you don’t disturb the roots circling the outside of the root ball, the tree will be very slow to establish itself into it’s new home and the circling, girdling pattern will continue and the tree will suffer.

3.  Dig a hole only as deep as the root ball.  Do not dig the hole deeper than it needs to be.  Actually, you should dig the hole about one inch less than the depth of the root ball so that once planted, the top one inch of the root ball is above the grade of the planting bed.  You should dig the hole at least eight inches wider than the root ball and when you plant the tree back fill around the roots with good rich soil.  However, if you are in heavy clay soil and you have not raised the planting bed, then do not over dig the hole at all.  Not even the sides.  Because if you do, that will allow water to run into the hole through the loose planting mix. Because of the clay, the water will have no way to escape and the tree will suffer from the roots being too wet.

4.  Place the tree into the hole and back fill around the root ball with loose, rich soil, making sure there are no air pockets around the roots.  Since the top one inch of the root ball is higher than the grade of the planting bed, you’ll need to mound some soil over the root ball.  Cover the top of the root ball with approximately one inch of soil.  Once you have the tree planted, put about a 2″ layer of mulch over the area surrounding the tree.

5.  Water the tree, thoroughly soaking the root ball.  Water on a regular basis for the first few months.  Usually, watering once or twice a week is plenty.  Stick your fingers into the soil around the roots before you water and make sure it is not too wet.  The soil should be moist and cool to the touch, but not soaking wet.

6.  Do not fertilize your new Japanese maple.  They really don’t like, nor do they need much fertilizer.  See this page for details about fertilizing.

7.  Stake the tree if necessary.  You don’t want the wind rocking it back and forth as the new roots try and establish themselves into their new surroundings.  You can buy stakes at the garden store and secure them to the tree with something soft like a piece of cloth.  Make sure to remove the stake after the first year.  Or if you feel the stake is still needed, change the tie to make sure it’s not cutting into the bark of the tree.

Planting a Japanese maple tree that is balled in burlap

1.  Closely inspect the root ball of your tree.  Cut any strings or rope on the root ball and closely examine the stem of the tree right at the top of the root ball, making sure there are no strings wrapped around the trunk of the tree.  Look closely.  Sometimes balled trees that have been in the nursery for a long time are actually re-burlapped before they are sold, so make sure there are no strings under the fist layer of burlap.

2.  There are different kinds of burlap that are used in nurseries.  Some of them are natural burlap that rots quickly and easily once the tree is planted.  Some are natural burlap treated with a green fungicide material that keeps the burlap from rotting too quickly before the plant is sold.  And some burlaps are made of nylon and will never rot.  In most cases the burlap does not have to be removed completely, but it’s a good idea to take a knife and make some vertical cuts in the burlap all the way around the plant.  That way, as new roots grow they can easily find their way into the soil and the tree can quickly establish itself.

3.  Dig a hole almost the same depth as the root ball.  Actually, measure the root ball, subtract one inch and dig the hole to that depth.  That will leave the root ball one inch above grade once it’s placed into the hole, which is what you want.  Dig the hole about 8″ wider than the width of the root ball so you can back fill around the root ball with rich, loose soil.

4.  The reason you don’t want to remove the burlap if you don’t have to is because you want the burlap to hold the root ball together as you place the tree into the hole.  So after you cut all the strings and make some vertical cuts in the burlap, gently lower the the tree into the hole.  Once you have the tree in the hole, start back filling around the root ball with rich, loose soil.  Pack the soil around the root ball as you fill in the hole, but don’t cover the top of the root ball just yet.

5.  Once you have filled in all around the root ball take a knife and cut the burlap around the stem of the tree, peeling it back to expose the top of the root ball.  This is to ensure that the burlap is not too tight around the stem of the tree.  Peel the burlap back and you can either cut the flaps off completely, or just tuck them in around the sides of the root ball.  By back filling around the sides of the ball first you are actually stabilizing the root ball, so when you loosen the burlap on top of the root ball, the ball can cannot fall apart.

6.  Now you can finish covering the root ball with soil, mounding approximately one inch of soil over the root ball, then placing a two inch layer of mulch over that.  See steps five through seven above to finish the planting of your balled in burlap Japanese maple.

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Here’s a “How to” video about planting balled in burlap trees

When and how do you go about transplanting a Japanese maple tree?

Let’s first make the distinction between planting and transplanting.  I’m sure you already know this, but just in case.

If you have a plant that is in a container, or sitting on top of the ground balled in burlap, you can install that plant into your garden anytime the ground is not frozen.  It is my very firm belief that any plant is much better off in the ground rather than sitting on top of the ground, and I should point out that I’ve been involved in this industry for forty years.  I learned the ropes working in nurseries as a kid, spent many years in the landscape contracting business and many years as a nurseryman or nursery stock producer, which I still do today.

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So, if you have a Japanese maple that is in a container or in burlap and are wondering when you should plant it, today is the day!  Yesterday would have been better, but today is the next best day to get it planted.  Don’t wait for fall, spring, or cooler weather.  Mother Nature intended for that plant to be in the ground, and that’s where it will be the happiest.

For detailed instructions on planting a Japanese maple visit this page.

When and How to Transplant a Japanese Maple

Transplanting means that you are going to dig a plant out of the ground and re-plant it into a different location.  It’s important to understand that the most critical part of this process is the first step of the process, the digging the plant out of the ground.  So the true question is; “When can I safely dig a Japanese maple tree?”

Japanese maples are deciduous plants, which means that they are not evergreens.  Come winter, they drop their leaves and go into a resting period until spring.  This resting, or dormant, period is a chance for them to re-charge their batteries, if you will. The date and time of dormancy is not set in stone, it’s more of a rolling schedule depending on what the weather does.

Dormancy is triggered by the first hard freeze of the winter season.  Not a frost, but a true hard freeze where the temperature drops down below 32 degrees F. for a period of several hours.  That really and truly is the start of the dormancy period.  Deciduous trees and shrubs start losing their leaves in the fall as the temperatures start to cool down and the daylight hours become shortened.  Some plants may lose all of their leaves fairly early into the fall season.  But that doesn’t mean the plants are dormant and they should not be dug until after they’ve experienced that first hard freeze.

Here in zone 5, northern, Ohio, dormancy usually starts around Thanksgiving.  Sometimes a little earlier, sometimes not until mid to early December.  Once dormant, the plants will remain dormant until spring.  Again, here in northern Ohio, most deciduous plants typically remain dormant until about the third week of April.  They actually start pushing out buds earlier than that, so technically they are probably no longer dormant, but until they actually produce their first leaves they can still be safely dug and or transplanted.  Once they have leaves it is game over until fall.  And I really mean, it’s game over.  Digging a plant that is in leaf is a traumatic experience for the plant and severe damage if not death of the plant will occur.

Are there exceptions?

Maybe, but not many.

When you dig a plant you are severing roots.  Think about it along the lines of the human body.  When a human being is seriously injured, with a broken bone or severe laceration, the body can and will go into shock.  If not treated immediately, this shock can be life ending.  However, if a human being needs major surgery the surgeon places the patient into a deep sleep that somewhat mimics dormancy in plants. The surgeon can safely perform the operation while another doctor sits at the head of the patient, constantly monitoring the patient’s vital signs and regulating the deep sleep.

With plants, the severing of the roots is what causes the shock when the plant is not dormant.  So if you have a plant that has not been planted for very long and you can dig it out of the ground without actually severing roots, then you probably can get away with digging the plant if it is not dormant.  But in most cases that is not the case, and the only way to dig the plant is by severing some roots.

If you do that while the plant is dormant there is no shock to the plant at all.  If you do it when the plant is not dormant, the plant will suffer some shock.  What degree of shock is really difficult to say.  But I will tell you this, as a professional in this industry for over forty years, I simply do not dig deciduous plants like Japanese maples, or any plant for that matter, during the growing season.  I just won’t do it.  I’ve seen what happens.

So now that we’ve determined when you can safely transplant a Japanese maple, I’ll let you watch this video about how to go about digging plants out of the ground.

Once you have the plant dug and ready to be re-planted you should visit this page for tips on re-planting your tree.

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Fertilizing Japanese maples, how and when should it be done?

You have to ask yourself why you have the compulsion to fertilize your Japanese maple.  Is the tree looking sickly?  Would you like it to grow more quickly?  Or are you just trying to give it the best care that you can?  Japanese maples are truly one of most low maintenance plants you can have in your landscape.  They don’t ask for or require much of your attention.  So with that said, sometimes it’s better to leave well enough alone.

Is fertilizing a Japanese maple a good thing or a bad thing?

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In many cases fertilizing these low maintenance plants can do more harm than good, unless you really understand how and why fertilizers work.  Most commercial fertilizers contain three primary components; nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.  Lawn fertilizers are very high in nitrogen and low in phosphorous and potassium.  Lawn grasses are vigorous growers and need pruning (mowing) every few days.  Therefore they use, and can tolerate, a much higher amount of nitrogen than most other plants in the landscape.  It’s the nitrogen in the fertilizer that stimulates vegetative growth.   A typical analysis of a lawn fertilizer would be 18-5-5 meaning that the fertilizer contains 18% nitrogen, 5% phosphorous and 5% potassium.  That’s a really high amount of nitrogen and should only be used on lawns.

Phosphorous helps plants to produce a better crop of flowers or fruit, but what phosphorous really does is help the plant process all of the nutrients in the soil.  A plant that is lacking in phosphorous will look sickly and be stunted because the process of photosynthesis will not be working correctly.  However, in my forty years as a gardener I’ve never had to deliberately make an adjustment to the amount of phosphorous available to any of my plants.  So be careful not to read too much into this rather technical explanation of fertilizer components.  Phosphorous also helps to establish strong root systems.

Potassium also helps plants utilize the other nutrients they need for vigor.  Potassium actually gives plants stamina and helps them to produce better fruit.  Potassium more or less regulates how much of each nutrient the plant is able or allowed to absorb at any given time.

A typical garden fertilizer might have an analysis of 14-14-14 which is equal parts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.  But what’s really important to understand is these types of fertilizer are very quick release.  Which means that as soon as you apply the fertilizer and it gets watered in, it will release 100% of it’s chemical components immediately, all at one time.  Garden fertilizers are usually applied in the spring before the garden is planted and they are worked into the top three to five inches of the soil.  This type of application helps to increase the nutrient levels in the soil. Since no garden plants are present at the time of the application, there is no chance of damaging plants with too much fertilizer.  By the time the plants are in place the levels of nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil have leveled off to a safe level.

So with all of that said, let’s think about Japanese maples and why we should or should not fertilize them.  First of all, it really doesn’t take much to make or keep a Japanese maple happy.  Here’s what they like.  They like good, rich topsoil that is high in organic matter and drains well.  They like sunshine, but often appreciate a little shade to give them a break from the sun for at least part of the day.  Here’s what they don’t like.  They don’t like heavy, wet soil that does not drain well.  They don’t like wet feet.  The soil they are planted in should be moist, not wet.  When it rains or they are watered, the excess water should drain away quickly.  They do not like, nor can they handle large amounts or sudden bursts of nitrogen.

A Japanese maple is a very slow growing plant which is why they cannot process large amounts of nitrogen.   I don’t know, maybe I’m a little wacko but I think about things like corn versus Japanese maples.  These are the kind of things that amaze me as a gardener.  You can plant a kernel of corn in the spring and by the fourth of July you have a plant that is knee high, by mid August the plant is five or six feet tall and loaded with edible ears of corn.  A plant like that needs and can use large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.  A Japanese maple on the other hand can take up to two years just to germinate from a seed and might only grow a few inches in it’s first growing season.  Just something to think about.

So . . . should you fertilize your Japanese maples?  If your tree is planted in really good soil that drains well then there really is probably no good reason to fertilize them. I never fertilize any plants in my landscape except my roses.  And the only reason they get fertilized is because I treat them with a three in one product to keep the bugs and disease away, and it contains some fertilizer.  If you mulch them, use an organic mulch like hardwood bark mulch that eventually breaks down into really valuable organic matter.

Now, with all of that said, if you want to fertilize your Japanese maple this is how you do so.  First, consider a fertilizer that is 100% organic.  Milorganite, or some type of fish emulsion fertilizer. Milorganite can be difficult to find and should not be used on a vegetable garden because it is made from granulated sewage sludge, but it really does work and it’s safe for non food types of plants.  Or you can use a slow release fertilizer like Osmocote.  And this is where it gets confusing so I’ll explain it this way.

A typical garden fertilizer will have an analysis of 14-14-14 and once applied it takes just days for all of those components to release into the soil.

Osmocote will also have an analysis of 14-14-14 but the fertilizer pellets are coated in such a way that it takes three to four months for the fertilizer to completely release.  So you can think of it as a slow, safe drip of fertilizer applied to your plants.  In the nursery industry slow release fertilizers such as this are the only thing we use on our plants.  Especially those growing in containers.

Make sure you understand the difference.  They are both 14-14-14 but one is safe for Japanese maples, the other one will kill them.  I can’t be any more blunt than that.

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Testing Japanese maple seeds for viability is known as a cut test.

Whether you buy Japanese maple seeds or collect the seeds yourself from a tree in your yard or neighborhood, you should test the seeds to make certain that they are viable before you spend a great deal of time trying to germinate them.  In order to test your seeds for viability you have to sacrifice a few seeds, so make sure you collect all you can get.

Spread your seeds out on a table and randomly pick a few seeds from your batch.  Of course the more seeds you test the more accurate your results, but that’s also at the expense of a number of seeds that would have grown.  So I’ll let you decide how many to test.

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Typically, a cut test is simply placing a seed on a cutting board and with a sharp knife cutting the seed in half.  Inspect the inside of the seed.  The inside of the seed should be green, possibly a cream color.  When you cut the seed it should have been nice and firm, not soft and squishy.  Inside of a good seed you should see live tissue, not brown discolored tissue.

You can also perform this test by squeezing a few seeds with pliers.  Good seeds will show green or cream colored tissue as they are crushed.  Bad seeds, or non viable seeds will just go flat when you squish them with pliers.

For reasons that cannot be explained some trees produce thousands of viable seeds, while other trees produce a lot of seeds, but the percentage of viable seeds is much lower.  For more details about growing Japanese Maples from seeds visit  this page.
Growing Japanese Maples from Seed.

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Japanese maples are actually pretty tough trees and quite disease resistant.  Usually, if a Japanese maple is failing, or doesn’t look good, it’s not from disease but other issues that are pretty easy to correct.  First let’s look at the things that you can control.

Japanese Maple Failure not Caused by Disease

As soon as somebody has a Japanese maple, or any plant for that matter, that doesn’t look good they immediately think it’s being attacked by some dreaded disease.  In most cases that’s not the case at all.  Contrary to what most people think, Japanese maples are pretty easy to raise and care for.  For the most part they are usually care free plants that happily exist in just about any landscape.  But there are a few things you should know about them.

1.  They don’t like wet feet!  In other words only plant them in good rich soil that drains well.  If you have heavy clay soil that does not drain well you have to make some adjustments to how your tree is planted, but be careful not to make the wrong adjustments.  Many people do it wrong and their tree dies.

In heavy clay soil you should only dig the hole half as deep as the root ball on your tree.  Then set the tree in the hole and fill around and over the root ball with good, rich topsoil.  Keep in mind that the root ball is made up of very loose, porous soil that water can easily drain into.  Make sure you do not dig a hole that will become a bathtub that your plant can drown in.  That’s why I suggest planting only half the root ball in the ground, then building a raised bed around the part that is sticking out of the ground.  When planted high like this your tree will need watered about twice a week, but check the soil near the roots and make sure it’s not soggy before you add more water.

2.  They don’t like wet hair!  Japanese maples don’t like to have their leaves sprayed with water when the sun is out.  The water droplets act as mini magnifying glasses and can leave burnt spots on the leaves.  This isn’t a serious problem and not one that I worry a lot about.  But given a choice water the roots and not the tops.

3.  They don’t like to over eat!  Japanese Maples Do Not Like a Lot of Fertilizer!  In other words, it’s best not to fertilize them at all.  Better to plant them in good rich soil that has a great deal of organic matter, such as composted cow manure worked into the soil before planting.  After planting, if you really feel that you need to fertilize use something organic.

Insects and Diseases that can Attack Japanese Maples

Pseudomonas syringae

Pseudomonas syringae is a common bacteria that affects many woody plants, including Japanese Maples.  This bacteria is considered opportunistic because it usually attacks plants that have already been damaged by frost or by other means.  Japanese maple leaves can be spotted and the veins within the leaves can be blackened.  This pathogen can cause die back of small branches.  As a collector of Japanese maples for many years I’ve seen little to no evidence of this on any of my plants.  Or at least I haven’t noticed.

Verticillium Wilt

Verticillium Wilt is a disease that can attack Japanese maples.  Symptoms are pretty obvious.  In some cases the leaves on a single branch will discolor and die, but do not fall from the tree.  This often happens in late summer or early fall.  In many cases the branch dies completely and should be completely removed from the tree at first sign of the disease.

How do you know for sure the branch is dead?  This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died.  Just scratch the bark of the plant with your finger nail.  If the tissue below the bark is green and firm  your plants are fine.  If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.

Verticillium Wilt is caused by a soil borne fungi but usually attacks plants that have been stressed by other things.  Drought, frost, or wet soil.  There’s really nothing you can do to treat your Japanese maples to prevent this disease and there’s nothing you can apply once they have it.  It’s something that just happens.

Twice I’ve had fairly large branches on my Acer palmatum dissectum maples die back all the way to the trunk of the tree and I have to assume it was caused by Verticillium Wilt.  But what’s really important to note is that even though these two trees lost large branches that had to be cut out, leaving a large hole in the tree, within a couple of years the trees filled back in and are once again nicely shaped and beautiful.  And they’ve stayed healthy since.

Anthracnose

Anthracnose is a fungal type disease that attacks a wide variety of tree and shrub species.   Affected trees will often have spots or scorch like spots on the leaves.  This fungal disease is prevalent during rainy seasons and conditions of high humidity.  This disease remains active on the leaves and twigs that have fallen to the ground and eventually spores are released that can re-attach themselves to the tree or new leaves.  The easiest method of control is to keep dead twigs and leaves raked up from under your trees.  Rainy spring weather tends to perpetuate this disease where hot dry periods can halt the disease.

Powdery Mildew

Powdery Mildew is a fungal disease than can attack Japanese maples. I’ve never seen it on any of my Japanese maples, yet I’ve had bad cases of it on some of my dogwood trees.  Powdery mildew is easy to detect because it covers the upper side of the leaf with a white powdery film.  It thrives in hot, or hot and humid conditions, especially where a lot of plants are grouped together and air circulation is poor.

Soft succulent tissue is more susceptible to this disease so avoid summer applications of nitrogen fertilizers.  I’ve seen heavy infestation of powdery mildew one season and not the next, so it’s not something that I get all worked up about.  Just rake up and dispose of any affected leaves.  It’s best not to put the affected leaves in your compost bin.

Phytophthora Root Rot

Phytophthora is a condition caused by root systems that are too wet.  Plants like Japanese maples and rhododendron are the most susceptible because they are the least likely to tolerate wet heavy soils that do not drain well.  This is one of the biggest problems that I see with Japanese maples in the home landscape.  Soil that does not drain well, or plants that are planted too deeply in the ground.  Even in well drained soil one inch of the root ball should be raised above the existing grade of the bed.  In poorly drained soil I suggest at least half of the root ball be raised above the existing grade, then covered with good rich topsoil.

Aphids

Aphids can and have been known to feed on Japanese maples, but in most cases it’s not a big concern.  Aphids feed by attaching themselves to the leaves of a plant and sucking nutrients out of the leaves.  If there are a number of aphids or if they are there long enough, they can damage the leaves to the point that the leaves curl up and could drop from the plant.  However, aphids have a number of natural predators including lady bugs so they usually don’t last long once they appear.  You can treat for them with an insecticidal soap or rinse them off with a blast of water.

Japanese Maple Scale

Japanese maple scale seems to be a growing problem, mostly on the east coast.  This type of scale insect is known as an armored scale because the insects protect themselves underneath an armored cover that is usually white in color.  They are easy to spot on the stems of trees with dark bark.  Scale insects are a sucking insect that extract plant sap from the host plant.  In plants with heavy infestations premature leaf drop, branch die back, or death of the plant can occur.

Scale insects are somewhat predatory and attack unhealthy plants.  The healthier your plants, the less likely they are to be attacked by scale insects.  If the infestation is not heavy, you can try scrubbing the tree with soapy water and a scrub brush.  On Japanese maples, scale insects usually only attach themselves to the stems of the tree and not the leaves, so scrubbing might actually work.  Since these insects are under this protective armor they are difficult to control.  A systemic insecticide that is applied to the root zone of the plant might work.  Check with your local garden professional.

Borers

Japanese maples can be attacked by borers.  These small insects drill into the stem of a tree and if the infestation is severe, serious damage can be done to the tree.  Inspect the stem of your tree looking for tiny holes and saw dust.  If you find borers you can treat the tree with a systemic insecticide, or there are some borer pastes on the market as well.  Some of the old school gardeners heat up a wire and stick it into the hole while the wire is still quite hot.  Does this work?  I have no idea.

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Should you, do you need to, provide winter protection for Japanese Maples?

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Japanese maples planted in the ground usually do not need to be covered.

It depends, but you have to be really careful that you don’t do more harm than good in your effort to protect your plants from the cold.  So first, let me explain a little about climates and growing conditions.  I’m in northern Ohio, zone 5.  It gets cold here.  Bitter cold at times, wind blowing, blizzard like conditions.  During the winter it’s not unusual for us to see temperatures as low as 15 degrees F. some winters we have days and days of single digit temperatures and possibly a few days around zero or below.

That’s cold.

In this climate I grow Japanese maples and a lot of them.  How do I protect them during the winter?  For the most part I make little or no effort to protect my Japanese maples against our blustery winter conditions.  All of my Japanese maples are planted in the ground and at this time none of them are in containers setting on top of the ground.  That’s a really important factor.  All plants are almost always happier, and safer when planted in the ground.  Providing of course, the soil is acceptable and well drained.  Very few plants like soil that is wet and heavy and for Japanese maples wet heavy soil is about the worst thing that you can do to them.

So . . . with that said,  are your conditions similar?  Is there any reason for you to provide additional protection for your tree or trees?  If you are in warmer zone than my zone 5, you should have even less to be concerned about than I do.  However, if you still feel that you need to provide extra protection, there are a few things you should know about protecting plants for the winter.

Burlap

Wrapping plants in burlap will help to keep the wind off them.  How much it helps is really debatable and I’ve never wrapped anything in burlap.  Some people who have evergreen hedges etc. near the road where they can get splashed with road salt often wrap them in burlap, and at best I’ll say that it can’t do any harm and might help a little.  You just have to keep in mind that once it gets cold the burlap will not stop the cold at all, but it will break the wind and help to keep the foliage of the plant from getting dehydrated.

Plants in containers need winter protection.

Here in the north, especially in my little town of Perry and Madison Ohio, we have dozens and dozens of large whoesale nurseries who grow millions upon millions of plants in plastic containers above ground.  The potting soil that they use is usually a mix of hardwood bark mulch or pine bark mulch.  That growing mix dries out easily!  Once of the major concerns for these nurseries when they over winter their plants is keeping the plants moist enough.  Even when plants are dormant for the winter, it is essential that the roots receive an adequate amount of water, but at the same time not too much water.  They have to be moist, but they cannot be soaking wet.

All of these very experienced wholesale growers use the same techniques and same strategies when it comes to getting their container grown plants safely through the winter.  Because they know that they have to cover for the winter the majority of these plants are grown in hoop houses that are completely uncovered during the growing season, the summer, spring and fall months.  These “hoop houses” as they are called are not greenhouses.  They have no heat, no glass, and they are not covered with clear plastic.  Come winter, usually around but not before Thanksgiving they start covering these houses with white plastic.  It’s called over wintering film and they use white because the white film actually reflects the rays from the sun.

Read that last sentence again.

They don’t cover their plants to keep them warm.  They don’t want them warm.  They want them dormant and they want them to stay dormant.  So they use white plastic so the temperatures inside the hoop house remain as constant as possible.  Does it freeze in there?  Yes, absolutely it freezes inside of these hoop houses.  The soil in the pots freezes rock hard and the containers freeze to the ground.  But once frozen the white plastic keeps things frozen.  The worst case scenario is to have the plants freezing, thawing out, heating up then re-freezing.  That would be fatal for the plants.

So if you intend to cover your Japanese maples for the winter, keep this in mind.

Use white plastic not clear plastic.

The only time a nursery uses clear plastic is if they are covering a house that is going to be used as greenhouse that is going to be heated day and night.  In that case they cover with two layers of clear plastic and then with a little blower they blow a layer of air between the two sheets of plastic.  This layer of air is the insulation.  But in this scenario the plants are kept nice and warm and they are not dormant.  They are actively growing.  But that would not be good for Japanese maples because they need to go dormant for the winter.  They, like all other deciduous plants need to rest.  Winter is when they rest and recharge their batteries for the upcoming spring season.

So in short.  White plastic is used to over winter dormant plants and clear plastic is used for growing plants in a greenhouse type of situation.

The lower the over wintering structure the better.

If you decide to build some kind of a structure over your Japanese maples for the winter the lower the structure the better.  Yes, wholesale growers use rather high structures.  Hoop houses tall enough that you can walk through.  The reason that they build their hoop houses so high is because throughout the growing season they have to be able to walk under those hoops as they care for their plants.  However, because their structures are high that leaves a lot of air space between the plants and the top of the hoop house.  That air pulls moisture from the plants and they have to water at least every two to three weeks, even during the winter.  If you don’t water, or can’t water because the water lines are all frozen, the plants will die.

You can and should eliminate all of those issues by building your over wintering structures as low to the ground as possible.  Keep in mind that the ground is naturally warm and actually gives off heat during the winter.  The closer to the ground you build your structure the more you benefit from that ground heat.  That also means less dead air space above the plants and a more effcient use of the moisture inside your structure.

Another trick that I’ve used is to build the structure using two by four lumber and make it flat on top, then pull the white plastic over that.  Weight the plastic down on the edges with soil by digging a shallow trench around the structure.  By placing soil over the ends of the plastic in the shallow trenches you can pull the plastic really tight, which is very important because if the plastic can move, it will start flapping, tear and blow off.

Of course with a structure that is flat on top puddles of water develop on top of the structure, but then I just take a pitch fork and poke holes in the plastic where the puddles are.  The water in puddles drains into the structure, raising the overall humidity inside which is good for your Japanese maples and other plants.

You can also build a low structure using PVC pipe bent in a hoop slipped over top of re-bar that is driven into the ground.  However, keep in mind that PVC pipe, or a low flat structure will not hold up to a snow load, so you should install some vertical braces and or keep the snow pushed off the top of the structure.  You’d be amazed at some of the structures that I’ve seen come crashing down under snow load.  Even large, commercial hoop houses made of steel pipe can and will come down under snow load.  It’s usually a combination of crazy winter weather that contributes to these crashes.  Snow, freezing rain, more snow, then rain.  Things that cause the snow to not slide off of the plastic.

With a flat structure there is no sliding that will take place.  You have to be out there with your push broom removing some of that weight.  I learned this the hard way.  Woke  up one morning in early November to the most beautiful, clinging snowfall I’d ever seen.  The snow came down so fast that we had 24″ of snow and no electricity before we even got out of bed.  By that time my flat structure over my grafted Japanese maples was already down.  Fortunately only one end collapsed and it happened to be the end where there were no plants.

It was lesson learned.  The two by fours that I used for legs were nailed to the top, not bolted.  That allowed them to fold under.  But what I really needed was a few verticle four by fours supporting the center of the structure and it would not have come down.

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How much cold weather, or severely cold temperatures will Japanese Maples tolerate before they suffer winter damage?

1.  Japanese maples can be sensitive to extreme cold and being that I am in zone 5 I know that there will be severe winters when damage will occur.  Makes no difference to me.  I so love these splendid trees that I am willing to take that chance.  I’ve been involved with the landscaping and nursery industry for about forty years now, and only one winter that I can remember did I see what I’d consider to be serious damage to Japanese Maples.

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We had one of those winters where it got down below zero F. and stayed there for too long.  That winter a lot of plants here in northeast Ohio were damaged.  Things like well established privet and hollies were devastated.  Some Japanese maples were damaged as well, and this is what I observed.  There were two, well established Acer palmatum dissectum (lace-leaf weeping JM) that I saw with severe damage.  My sister and brother-in-law had a large dissectum in their backyard that a few years earlier I actually rescued from an old dilapidated house that was about to be burned.  That was a beautiful tree that was only about 48″ high but had to be at least 10′ wide.  I’m sad to report that their beloved tree died completely that winter.

This tree, the one shown below, was on the back corner of my house and suffered severe damage.  But you’d never know that looking at this photo, which was actually taken several years after that devastating winter.

Acer palmatum dissectum-lace-leaf Japanese Red Maple

The story behind this tree.

When I first landscaped our house in 1989 to say that I didn’t have much money would have been an understatement.  But I wanted a lace-leaf weeping Japanese maple in my landscape.  So I went to one of the local wholesale nurseries to see what they had.  All of the trees that Bill showed me were at $150.00  or more and I really couldn’t afford that.  But off the side I saw a small tree that was pretty much broken in half.  Half of the tree was gone and left was a large gaping wound.  I looked at Bill and said; “Whaddya want for that one?  You certainly can’t sell it.”  He said; “twenty bucks.”

I handed him a $20 bill and headed home with my sad, sad looking little tree.  It was really a small tree to start with before it got damaged in shipping, so the piece that I had left was about 24″ tall and scary looking.  I planted it with the wound to the back and figured it deserved a chance.

It took a few years, but finally with carefully pruning and a lot of patience my little hobo of a tree started to take shape.  Before I knew it that little tree had become a breathtaking specimen that caught everybody’s eye.  I was so proud and happy with that tree.  I just loved looking at it every chance I got.

Then along came Mr. severely cold winter.  It was so cold for so long that when spring arrived I realized that almost all of the bark on the stem of my tree had actually been frozen right off the tree.  I was sick.  The bark literally fell right off the tree exposing the cambium layer.  I knew the tree couldn’t survive.  And I also knew there was nothing I could do but wait.  The tree leafed out as if everything was fine, then suddenly it started to fail.  The buds and small branches were not damaged so as far as they knew all was well.  But before long they couldn’t get water or nutrition from the root system and the tree started looking really bad.  There was one little strip of bark going up the back side of the tree that did not come lose.  But it wasn’t much.

The tree did not die, but it looked terrible.  Next spring it was a little better, and by the third year it took off like crazy and was once again my pride and joy.  Sorry for the long winded story, but I think it’s important that you understand what can happen, and that any tree that has not completely failed has a chance.

A few more observations from that winter.

I was more than a little concerned when I saw both of those large trees severely damaged because the summer before I had landscaped 20 or 30 homes, maybe more, and on each of those jobs I planted a small dissectum maple.  And I had promised my customers a one year guarantee.  I was just waiting for the phone calls to start coming in.

Amazingly enough, not one of those small trees suffered damage.  And they were quite small.  I thought for sure that the severe cold from that winter would have done them in.  Not the case.

What I learned.

Even though I have no scientific proof as to why the larger trees were damaged but all of those smaller Japanese maples were not, the only conclusion that I could come to is that for some reason the bark on the younger trees was more elastic.  Of course since they were so much smaller it is possible that snow might have been piled up around them, and we know that snow is an excellent insulator.  But I suspect they were not all snow covered and none of those small trees were damaged.  So I’m still clinging to my elastic bark theory.

Since then I have been more comfortable acquiring and planting small Japanese maples in my landscape and so far all has gone well.  And now that I am growing thousands of them in the nursery, outside in a field, this is certainly being put to the test.  I am prepared for the day when I do experience some winter damage.  But I am comfortable thinking that even if that does happen, many of my trees will bounce back.

Only time will tell.

See this page about providing winter protection for Japanese Maples.

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Japanese maples are really a lot hardier and easier to grow than most people give them credit for.  I often get asked; “Is my Japanese maple dying?’ and usually when somebody asks me that, their tree is more than likely in trouble.  They’ve noticed that something is changing with their tree.

Usually leaves turning brown around the edges, brown spots on the leaves, or maybe leaves falling from the tree during the growing season.  Brown spots on the leaves during the growing season can be caused from a number of different things, and for the most part none them are of serious concern.  Usually brown spots appear because the leaves got wet when the sun was out and that can cause a small burn on a leaf with a droplet of water on the leaf.

Brown edges can  be a sign of a tree that de-hydrated.  But often times, late in the summer, especially with the dissectum varieties, the edges of the leaves turn brown just from the extreme heat and the wind blowing across the leaves.  It’s a lot like holding a blow dryer to the leaves.  Does this mean the roots are dry and need more water?  That depends on how much rain you’ve had in your area prior to this happening.  It is my experience that this drying of the edges of the leaves is just something that happens and seems to happen to most of my dissectum Japanese maples every year starting around late July.  It’s certainly not something I get concerned about.

Now if all of the leaves on your Japanese maple are turning brown and falling off, you have a serious problem.  If your tree has only been planted for a short time there are four things that I’d look for immediately.

1.  Have you been watering the tree as needed.  Trees that have only been planted a few weeks or even a few months should be watered once or twice weekly, but it’s important to check to see how moist the roots are before you water.  The soil should be moist and cool to the touch, not powdery dry.  But the soil should not stay soaking wet all the time.

2.  How wet are the roots and or the soil around the roots?  Japanese maples do not like wet feet.  They don’t like standing water around their roots for very long at all.  When you water the water that you apply should drain away within an hour or so and not linger around the root zone of your plant.  If you have heavy, wet, clay soil that does not drain well you should plant your tree with the entire root ball buried in the ground.  The root ball needs to be covered with soil, but you should raise the bed so at least half of the root ball is above the grade of your bed.  This is only true if you have clay soil that does not drain well.

3.  Is your tree planted too deep?  Even if you have really good soil that drains well, the top of the root ball should be at least one inch above grade.  Make sure the root ball is covered with soil so you actually have a slight mound over the root ball so excess amounts of water are shed away from the tree.  There should not be more than one inch of soil up on the stem of the tree.  If you have the tree planted too deep and there is three or four inches of soil on the stem of the tree it is planted too deeply and should be raised immediately.

4.  How much have you fertilized your tree?  Japanese maples don’t like and cannot use a great deal of nitrogen fertilizer.  It’s much safer to mix rotted cow manure (bagged) into the hole as you plant your tree and not fertilize at all.  If you really feel the need to fertilize a Japanese maple, use something organic, something low in nitrogen.

Is it possible that your Japanese maple is suffering from some dreaded disease and dying?  Probably not, but just in case visit this page:  Japanese Maple Diseases.

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People ask about trimming or pruning Japanese maples fairly often and the short answer is yes, you should prune your Japanese maples.  Of course, the size and age of your tree, and the type you have determines how you should prune them.  When Japanese maples are small, it is absolutely essential that they be pruned for shape and character.  There is also some training involved to make sure they develop into the most beautiful specimens imaginable.  All of my Japanese maples get pruned and trained at least twice a year.

When Should I prune my Japanese maple?

Really heavy or severe pruning of any plant is best done when the plant is completely dormant.  However, that’s not the only time that you can prune Japanese maples.  For the most part, I prune mine anytime they need it and that often ends up being the dead of summer.  Doesn’t matter, they love it and they respond well to it.

Here’s the problem with pruning at the “Ideal time”.  It doesn’t get done.  You think your tree needs pruning and you log onto the Internet to find out when it should be pruned.  The expert says you should prune them in the early winter or late winter or whatever the expert says.  So you say to yourself; “I’d better wait, I don’t want to kill my tree.”

Then come winter it never even crosses your mind.  You don’t think about it again until mid spring or the middle of summer.  Then you cautiously wait again, and once again miss that window of opportunity.  That’s why I am adamant that if something needs pruning, then by all means prune it right now while you’re thinking about it.  Unless you are completely cutting a plant down to nothing, it can usually be pruned at about any time of the year.

So what if you cut off some flower buds.  A nice plant with a few flowers is better than an ugly plant with lots of flowers.  And . . . if you are a diligent pruner your plants will be nice and tight and loaded with blooms and your neighbors will be envious.  Gardening is about the end result.  How good does it look when you are done with it?

And so it is with Japanese maples.  If it needs pruning, then by all means prune it.

Pruning or trimming grafted Japanese Maples

How do you know if your tree is grafted?  The great majority of most really nice Japanese maples are grafted, but not all of them.  Some are grown on their own roots, so the best thing to do is look for a graft union.

Graft Union on a Japanese Maple

The above photo clearly shows the graft union on this small tree.  In this case the graft union is down low, close to the ground, which in most cases is the ideal place to graft a Japanese Maple.  However, some are done up higher and you have to look for and beware of that as well.  You can see that the rootstock has bark that is green in color and the desired variety has bark that is red in color.  It’s important that you locate the graft union on all of your grafted trees because any growth at all coming from below the graft union should be removed.  Keep in mind that when a plant is grafted you actually have two different kinds of plants that are pretty much welded together.  Of course the “weld” is a natural process that happens when two compatible plants are properly prepared and the cambium layers are lined up.

So watch for any growth that appears on or below the graft union because the leaves on that growth will be very different from the rest of the tree.  If allowed to grow those little buds will turn into branches and the branches will grow up through the canopy of your beautiful tree and pretty much destroy it’s appearance.  This happens a lot because gardeners don’t realize what it happening to their plant and they are not sure what to do about it.

This is a High Graft Union on a Small Japanese Maple Tree.

As you can see in the above photo this graft union is much higher, which means that this tree will put out more growth from below the graft union that will have to be removed on a regular basis.  The easiest way to remove that growth is to catch it when it’s still just a tiny bud and just run your thumb up and down the stem and brush those buds right off before they have a chance to produce leaves or a small branch.  If you miss that window of opportunity, which is easy to do, you have to remove those little branches with pruners.  Cut them all the way back to the stem of the tree so there is no evidence at all that they were ever there.

In the above video I show you exactly what I mean about removing buds from below the graft union as well as good information about training Japanese maples.

Essentially there are two types of Japanese maples and they are pruned and trained differently.  There are upright varieties that naturally want to grow in an upright fashion.  All new growth grows in an upright direction.  Then there are weeping varieties and any and all new growth grows everywhere but upright.  If let alone weeping Japanese maples would pretty much just lay on the ground and eventually pile themselves up into a mound.  So in order to get a really nice specimen weeping Japanese maple there is both training and trimming that has to take place.

Pruning and Trimming Upright Japanese Maples

So let’s start with the upright varieties.  If left alone to grow without any trimming or training an upright tree will grow in an upright direction.  However, as it grows it will produce side branches.  Some of these will be down low near the ground, or they might be up higher on the tree.  It’s your job to decide exactly what you want your tree to look like as soon as you plant it so you can carefully craft it into the tree of your dreams.

All trees as they grow produce leaders.  A leader is the main branch that makes up the center of the tree.  A typical shade tree and many ornamental trees are grown with a single leader, commonly called single stem.  One stem emerging from the ground to a point of four feet, six feet, or even higher before any side branches, or lateral branches are allowed to grow.  It is my experience that upright Japanese maples just do not look natural, nor are they as desirable if grown in single stem fashion.  I once had a number of upright Japanese red maples that we grew in the field.  Most were multi stem, a few we trimmed into single stem trees.  The multi stem trees sold much more quickly than the single stem trees.

So it is my belief and personal preference that upright Japanese maples be grown as multi stem trees.  How do you make that happen?  In some cases the small tree, all by itself will produce multiple branches down low on the tree.  In this case your job is to allow these multiple branches to grow, but if there are a number of them you’ll want to select the ones that you think will most likely make for the most interesting and attractive tree and remove the rest while they are still small.  Ideally, a multi stemmed tree will have at least three if not four main branches or leaders coming from very close to the ground.  In some cases the tree might have a single stem up about twelve to eighteen inches, then the multi stem branches appear.  Sometimes you only end up with two leaders, which is fine.

If you have a small tree or a small seedling that is say, eighteen inches tall, you can clip the top of the tree off to stop the pattern of the tree trying to reach for the sky with a single stem.  This will slow the tree down, and more than likely buds and eventually branches will appear down low.  It’s important to remember that we are dealing with Mother Nature, and at the end of the day she is in charge and sometimes we just have to make the best of what she gives us.

Once you have selected your two, three or four multiple leaders you allow those to grow in an upright direction.  They will develop lateral branches as well.  Some of these lateral branches you will leave, others you may opt to remove.  Keep in mind that as a small tree grows, you want to maintain as many as many leaves on the tree as possible.  It’s the leaves that feed the tree as it develops.  But in time you’ll want to start removing some of these smaller lateral branches that are appearing down low on your main leaders.

The idea, when the tree is mature, is to be able to see those multi stems, at least up to a height of 30″ or so.  Any branch on the tree that you know you’ll eventually want removed should be removed before they reach a diameter of 1/4″.  Or the size of a standard wooden pencil.

In the mean time the multiple leaders of your tree are growing in an upright direction.  It’s up to you to decide how high you want them to grow.  Many people will tell you that you can’t or should not try and maintain the height and size of a Japanese maple.  However, it’s your house, your yard, and only you know how much room you have.  Not to mention that the prettiest part of these beautiful trees is the foliage and if all of the foliage is way up high you really won’t be able to appreciate it.  Every setting is different, and ideally you want to match your tree selection to the setting you have and the amount of room you have.  But it reality that doesn’t always happen.  You fall in love with a tree and you take it home whether you have the ideal spot for it or not.  I do it all the time!

So as your tree matures you carefully craft it into the specimen you desire.  Keep removing any low lateral branches that don’t belong and if necessary prune the top of the leaders to maintain the height you want.  Eventually you’ll have nice clean multi stems down low and a beautifl canopy of branches up top. You’ll also want to pay attention to the interior of the tree looking for branches that cross, rub or compete with one another.  If you find two branches that are rubbing, crossing or competing select the branch you want to keep and remove the other.  Keep in mind that any branch growing inside the tree that is never going to find it’s way to any sunlight doesn’t really have a chance of survival so the sooner you remove it the better.

I should also point out that even upright Japanese maples often need staking when small.  That’s only if they are drooping over or just not growing straight up.

This above video will give you a visual of what I am trying to explain here.

Pruning and Trimming Weeping Japanese Maples

All of the Japanese maples in the world, the Red, Weeping, Lace-leaf varieties are probably the most popular and the most sought after.  That’s because they are beautiful and special in a way that you really can’t describe.  But if left untrimmed and untrained they can get kind of ugly, and we don’t want that to happen to such a special plant.  So I will explain just exactly how and why you should trim and train these weeping varieties.

But first, I’d like to point out that the selection of weeping Japanese maples is much greater than most people realize.  There are green varieties and there are a number of different variegated varieties.  So don’t limit your options!  Here at Japanese Maple Lovers it is our goal to introduce you to all of these incredible and fascinating plants.  Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered, or asked yourself; “Why are these tree so doggone expensive?”  Two reasons.  They are relatively slow growing and they are not the easiest plant in the world to grow.  It takes time, effort and knowledge to produce a really nice lace-leaf weeping Japanese maple.  Here at Japanese Maple Lovers my goal is to give you the opportunity to purchase these plants at small sizes, and at deeply discounted prices.  But when you do that, it will be up to you to prune and train these Japanese Maples into beautiful specimens.  You can do it!  With a little education.  But once you master this art you will so much more appreciate the trees in your yard because you will have had so much involvement with their up bringing.  Sound familiar?  Don’t worry, they won’t ask to borrow money once you have them raised!

The above photo is Acer palmatum dissectum, ‘Crimson Queen’.  So that’s out goal right?  To end up with a beautiful tree like this one.

The beginning of the training process.

However, what we often start with is a plant like this, or worse yet a plant like the photos of the graft unions at the top of this page.  So let the work begin!  The plant is this photo does not look happy at all, but that’s because this photo was taken in November after a frost or two.  So some of the leaves were damaged and others not.  Also, when I received this tree it had not been trained at all, and it was allowed to grow for probably two seasons with no training.  That makes my job of getting it to look like I want more difficult, but not impossible.

As mentioned earlier the weeping varieties truly have no upright habit to them at all.  They’d prefer to just lay on the ground and spread out as they grow.  Unless you have a wall that the tree can creep over and hang down or some kind of a Japanese garden setting that’s probably not at all what you want.  So the very first thing you need to do is figure out how you are going to get some height out of your tree.  Typically, if you can get at least one main branch up to a height of 42″ or so, that would be ideal.  From there you can allow the lateral branches to develop and eventually form a really nice head.

So the very first thing you need to do is put a stake in the ground next to your tree.  The plastic stakes that you can get at the garden stores is fine.  Then you have to find a branch that you can tie to the stake that will be your main leader.  In the above photo you can see that I’ve tied a number, or a bunch of branches to the stake.  Coming out of that bunch of branches I’ve got a main leader that will eventually make up the main stem of my tree.  More than likely, over time, many of those lower branches will be removed because eventually I want a weeping canopy that will completely cover that part of the tree.  The weeping canopy will eventually block all sunlight to that area and those branches won’t be able to survive any way.  But for now they get to stay because they are helping to feed the tree through photosynthesis.

So the goal is to train at least one branch upright to a height of about 42″ and then start training all of the lateral branches to form that weeping canopy.  Even though you eventually want a canopy that is say, 40″ wide, you don’t want to allow those lateral branches to grow out to that distance without trimming them at all.  The more you prune them, at least a few inches off the tip of the branch, the more lateral branches they produce, and it’s that maze of lateral branches that make up the head of the canopy.

Every Time you prune a lateral branch you get more lateral branches from that branch.  Each of those lateral branches will in turn produce more lateral branches.  So don’t get impatient or worse yet, don’t be afraid to prune the tips of of those lateral branches.  There’s nothing you can do to speed the process of trying to develop a nice head on your tree.  It takes time, and it takes regular pruning.

And at this time I need to make a big announcement.

Japanese Maples do not like fertilizer! 

They cannot process or use much commercial fertilizer at all.  So no fertilizer is better than too much.  Fertilizer will not make your Japanese maple grower faster.  It can and will kill your tree.  Japanese Maples like good rich soil that contains a lot of well composted organic matter that drains well.   Two things that Japanese maples really don’t like.  One is fertilizer, the other is too much water or being planted too deeply.

Think about the weeping canopy part of the tree as a snow ball.  A snowball builds one layer at a time as it is rolled around in the snow.  And as the saying goes; “The bigger a snowball gets, the faster it gets big.”  Same thing for your weeping Japanese maple.  You have to allow it form one layer at time.  Each layer will produce a bigger, more intricate layer until you have a nice big, beautiful weeping canopy on your tree.

However, most people don’t know that and they are afraid to death to cut anything at all off their Japanese maples.  That’s a big mistake and I want you to know better than that.  A lace leaf weeping Japanese maple that is staked upright at the nursery, then taken home by it’s new owner and left untrimmed starts to look like an old fashion TV antenna.

This is a lace leaf weeping Japanese maple that is being trained, but right now is quite one sided.

The above photo is a lace leaf weeping Japanese maple that purchased from a wholesale grower.  They did a good job of getting it staked upright from the very beginning, but now it has grown quite one sided.  I’m assuming that’s because they were probably packed tightly together in the nursery and it just didn’t have enough room or adequate sunlight to develop on the side that is lacking branches.  For me this is an easy fix.  This winter I will go through the field and cut those lateral branches back to about half of what they are now.

If I don’t cut those branches back to about 50% next spring they will put on all kinds of new growth, but most of it will be way out at the extreme ends of the branches making the tree even more one sided.  I don’t want the tree spending all of it’s energy putting on branches where I don’t want new branches.  I need to get this tree tightened up so as the weak side starts to develop new growth the stronger side will grow pretty much in proportion to the rest of the tree.

So training your weeping Japanese maple is a process and it’s a process that you really should do each and every year to make certain that your tree or trees just getting better and better.

Pruning a Mature Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maple

So now let’s assume that you have a fairly mature weeping Japanese maple in your yard that really hasn’t been pruned, or hasn’t been pruned properly.

1.  Examine the tree.  Look for leaves or branches that look like they just don’t belong.  If your tree is of the dissectum family and has delicately cut leaves, all of the leaves on the tree should pretty much look the same.  If they don’t, then that’s a good sign that you have a branch or branches that have grown from below the graft union.  Those entire branches should be removed before you do anything else.

2.  Go around the tree with pruning shears and remove any branches that are touching the ground, or are too close to the ground.  How far up from the ground your tree should be is a personal preference, but I’d say that ideally you don’t want anything closer to 12″ to the ground.   That distance will allow for new growth that still will not touch the ground.

3.  Stand back and look at your tree.  Ideally I think these trees should be shaped like an umbrella, or maybe a mushroom.  High in the center then slowly tapering down as you get away from the center of the tree.  Standing back and looking at your tree, picture that shape in your mind.  Mentally draw an imaginary line with your eyes and pay attention to only what is inside of that imaginary line.  Everything outside of the imaginary line should be removed.

4.  It’s as simple as that.  Everything outside of the imaginary line should be removed.  If you do that each and every year your tree or trees will be beautiful.

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Growing Japanese Maple trees from seed is a lot easier than most people think.  However, it is important to understand that there are more than 250 different cultivars of the Japanese Maple tree, and my purpose through this website is to introduce you to as many of these different cultivars as I can.  Or more appropriately, as we can, because the purpose of this web site is to develop a community of Japanese Maple Lovers and collectors.

Japanese Maples come in all kinds of different sizes, different shapes, and have a variety of different growing characteristics.  They also have as many different variations of leaf size and shape as you can imagine.  And that’s why the Japanese Maple is by far, one of the most versatile plants you can add to your landscape.  The different varieties are so unique that you can easily use several of them in a residential or commercial landscape without the slightest hint of redundancy.

However, all of this tends to complicate the process of propagating Japanese Maples because very few of these numerous cultivars will come true to the parent plant when grown from seed.   So . . . you might ask, how do I go about propagating a Japanese Maple?

There are a number of methods which include growing them from seed, grafting a piece of the desired variety onto a Japanese Maple seedling, and budding. Budding is really just another form of grafting, except instead of using a small cutting from the desired parent plant, you work with a single bud from the desired plant.  Some Japanese Maples are also grown via tissue culture which involves a laboratory and test tube like conditions.

You and I at home?  Let’s stick to the basics of growing from seed, grafting and budding.  In order to graft or bud, you must first have a Japanese Maple seedling that you can use as the rootstock.  So for the remainder of this article we’ll discuss growing from seed.

The majority of the Japanese Maples you’ll encounter in your daily travels are from the Acer palmatum family, so that’s what we’ll discuss in this article.  First allow me to explain exactly what Acer palmatum means in terms that you and I can understand.  All plants have a common name and a Latin name.  The Latin name is really the most dependable way to identify a plant because many plants end up with numerous common names, depending upon who you are talking to.  But there should always be just one Latin name.

So let’s break down the Latin name Acer palmatum.  Acer is the generic name, or the genus, and Acer is used to identify any maple tree.  Palmatum is the species name and in this case means that the maple tree being identified is from the Japanese Maple family.  Acer palmatum means Japanese Maple.  Next we add the variety to the Latin name.  As in; Acer palmatum dissectum.  Any Japanese Maple that has a variety of dissectum in it’s name is a mounded, low growing tree with leaves that look like they’ve been dissected.  Commonly called ‘cut leaf’ or ‘lace leaf’.  Acer palmatum dissectum.  To the end of that we’ll add the cultivar name, as in Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’.

There are a lot of Acers, a lot of Acer palmatums, and a lot of Acer palmatum dissectums.  But there is only one Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’.  That describes a very specific kind of Japanese Maple and that particular variety, as with all specific varieties, can only be reproduced through a means of asexual reproduction.

Sexual reproduction is what happens naturally.  A seed falls to the ground, germinates and a Japanese Maple seedling emerges.  Of course it’s not quite that simple, and I’ll explain how to make the process more predictable.  Asexual reproduction is any form of propagation that is not natural.  Rooting cuttings, budding, grafting or reproducing plants via tissue culture are all forms of asexual reproduction.

So . . . with all of that explained, let’s discuss growing Japanese Maples from seed and hopefully through my long winded explanation you now understand that when growing just about any plant from seed, the results are not always predictable.  Much like human reproduction via sexual means, we all look similar, yet each and every one of us is different.

With plants there are advantages and disadvantages to those mixed results.   When growing from seed you never really know for sure what you are going to get.  But in the case of Japanese Maples, you at least know that if you sow seeds of Acer palmatum you’ll get Acer palmatum seedlings.  They may not have that beautiful deep red color, but it’s almost certain that your seedlings, even if the leaves are as green as grass, they’ll make good quality root stock trees for grafting or budding.   They will be compatible with any cultivar of Acer palmatum that you’d like to graft or bud onto them.

We also know that if you collect your Japanese Maple seeds from a tree with deep red leaves, there’s a really strong chance that many of your seedlings will have leaves that are deep red in color.  They won’t all have deep red color, some of them will be green and some will show different shades of red.  If you collect your seeds from a Japanese Maple that has green leaves, chances are most, if not all of your seedlings will have green leaves.

Now this is important because a lot of people get confused with this.  ‘Bloodgood’ is a named Japanese Maple cultivar.  It is so named because it has deep red leaves that hold their color all summer long.  At some point in time all ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese Maples will put out a crop of seeds.  You can collect those seeds and grow them with the instructions I will give you below.  But no matter what, no matter how red the leaves on your seedlings are, they are not, and cannot be called ‘Bloodgood’ because they will have been produced via sexual reproduction and are not identical clones of the parent plant.

Some growers and or vendors twist this a little by calling them ‘Bloodgood’ seedlings, but I don’t like and don’t agree with this practice at all.  They are not ‘Bloodgood’ and that name should not be used when describing them.   What they really are is Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ which is a Japanese Maple seedling with red leaves.  So, when growing Japanese Maples from seed you’ll get one of two different plants.  Acer palmatum, or Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpurpeum’.  The first will have green leaves, the second will have red leaves.

That’s a lot of words, but it is intended to give you a good foundational knowledge of Japanese Maple propagation.  Now let’s get to the basics of growing them from seed.

Japanese Maple trees flower in the spring.  Of course the flowers don’t look anything like a flower from a distance, but viewed closely they very much resemble a tiny but beautiful bloom. For the most part they are inconspicuous and usually go unnoticed.  But as with all plants you first need a bloom, then some sort of fruit, then within the fruit you find the seeds.  On any kind of maple tree, the seeds are trapped in a winged seed pod that most of us as kids called “helicopters” because the pods spin like the blades of a helicopter as they fall from the tree.

After the tree flowers in the spring the seed pods begin to form.  You must leave them on the tree all summer, into the fall to allow them to mature.  If you collect the seeds too soon the embryo inside of the seeds will not be completely mature and the seeds will not be viable.  The rule of thumb is to leave the seed pods on the trees until they start to turn brown and can be removed from the tree fairly easily with little resistance.  Here in northern Ohio, zone 5 this usually happens around mid to late October.  If you wait too long you’ll lose out because once the seeds start falling it happens quickly.  If you find a bunch of seeds on the ground by all means pick them up, they are still perfectly fine and viable.

Japanese maple seeds with the wing still attached.

Once you’ve collected your seeds the goal is to sow them and get them to germinate.  But this is a little tricky.  Not at all difficult, but you do have to trick the seeds with a process that is called stratification.  Japanese Maple seeds have a really hard outer coating that protects the embryo.  In order for the seeds to germinate you have to take some steps to soften that outer coating, so water and oxygen can find it’s way inside of the seed.

In nature the natural process is not very efficient and it can often take up to two years, maybe longer, before the seeds actually germinate.  That poses a problem because the timing might be way off, and the little tiny seedling might start emerging right before winter and have no chance at all of survival.  By following one of the three different methods that I am going give you here, you will actually control when the seed germinates, thus giving you a much higher percentage of success.

Method #1 is to sow the seeds immediately after you collect them.  This is a pretty simple process and it can work really well.  Of course with this method you are at the mercy of Mother Nature, but it’s still quite predictable.  Not sure?  Do some of your seeds both ways and see for yourself which one you like the best.

Where do you get Japanese Maple seeds?  You can buy them if you want.  There is a lot of debate about the quality of purchased Japanese Maple seeds, and the quality can and will vary from vendor to vendor.  There are all kinds of vendors online that sell seeds.  My goal here at Japanese Maple Lovers is to put together a list of seed suppliers you can buy from if can’t find any seed locally.  What’s really important is to get fresh seed, and if you want your seedlings to have red leaves you have to know the details of the tree from which the seed is collected.  That’s why finding your own local source is the best option.

With that said, once you set your mind on growing Japanese Maples from seed, you will start seeing all kinds of large Japanese Maples in your hometown.  You might see these trees in local parks, cemeteries and in peoples yards.  You must ask permission to collect seeds from any tree that you do not own, but usually most people are happy to allow you to collect seeds from their tree.  However, since you’ll probably want to go back year after year, you should gift them with a few of your seedlings. Maybe even gift them with a small Japanese Maple that you’ve purchased, and by all means after you collect the seeds send them a thank you card and possibly a gift card for a local restaurant.  If you do this, you are likely to have a perpetual supply of Japanese Maple seeds for a long time to come.

Method #1

Method number one is good for colder zones like zones 4, 5, 6 and probably zone 7.  Not sure what cold hardiness zone you’re in?  Just do a Google search for “cold hardiness zone map”.

1.  Immediately after you collect your seeds dump them out on a work table.  One by one pick the seeds up and break the wing off.  Discard the wing and keep the part that contains the seed.  How do you know for sure which part is which?  The wing looks very much like the wing of a large insect.  It has veins and it’s quite brittle.  The part that contains the seed obviously has a bulge and is not at all fragile.  Don’t be overly concerned about whether or not you broke off enough wing.  What’s really important is that you keep the part that contains the seed.  If there’s still a little wing attached that’s not a problem.

Japanese Maple seeds with the wing removed.

2.  Put the seeds in a container that will hold hot water.  Run the water from your faucet until it’s quite warm, but not so hot that you can’t put your hand under it.  But close to that hot.  Pour the warm to hot water over the seeds and just let them soak in the water for 24 hours.  At first the seeds will float, but eventually they’ll almost all sink to the bottom.  The ones that never sink are probably not viable, but it won’t hurt to sow them with the rest.  Maybe they just didn’t get wet enough to sink.

3.  Once the seeds have soaked in the water for 24 hours pour off the water and spread the seeds out on a paper towel.  You can allow them to dry overnight to make them easier to work with.  Next fill a flat with a good seed starting mix that drains well.  I suggest mixing some additional Perlite into the mix to make sure it will drain well.

If you don’t have a flat just go to the dollar store and buy a plastic dish pan, and drill many 1/2″ holes in the bottom so any water that drains to the bottom can escape from the dish pan.  The holes you drill should be no farther apart than one inch.

4.  Sow the seeds on top of the seed starting mix and press them down lightly so they are embedded in the growing medium.  Then lightly sprinkle a covering of seed starting mix over top of the seeds.  The light covering of mix should be no more than 1/4″ deep.  3/16″ deep would be ideal.

5.  Next cut a piece of hardware cloth (heavy screen) so it fits tightly inside the dish pan.  The purpose of the hardware cloth is to keep mice, chipmunks or other critters from digging in the dish pan and eating your seeds.  The openings in the hardware cloth can be anywhere from 1/4″ to 1/2″.  Consider using light wire, twist ties, or zip ties to fasten the hardware cloth to the top of the dish pan so the critters can’t pull it up to get to the seeds.  The hardware cloth does not have to be suspended above the soil in the dish pan, because come spring you will remove the hardware cloth long before your seeds have a chance to germinate.  So just lay the hardware cloth on the growing medium.  The fasteners are only to keep the hardware cloth from being blown out or removed.

6.  Now it’s time to set the dish pan and Japanese Maple seeds outside in the elements.  Weren’t expecting that were you?  It’s important to understand that Japanese Maple seeds require a lengthy treatment of cold before they will germinate.  It’s part of the natural process.  So what we are doing here in method #1 is trying to closely mimic the natural process, but we are better controlling some of the environmental conditions so the results are more predictable.

When deciding where to place your dish pan of seeds in your yard, select a place that is out of the wind and hopefully in a spot where dogs, skunks or raccoons won’t disturb it or tip it over.  The goal is not to keep it from freezing.  It can and will freeze, and that’s fine.  It might stay frozen all winter.  That’s not a problem.  Snow cover is also fine.  Snow is actually an excellent insulator and would be really good for your seeds.  Freezing won’t hurt them, but it does slow down the stratification process.  So, if they were naturally covered with snow for long periods of time during the winter chances are the growing medium would not freeze, or would not stay frozen.  That would be perfect.  Just set the flat or dish pan out in your selected location and forget about it.

7.  As spring starts to arrive check on your container to make sure nothing is sprouting yet.  As soon as the seeds start to sprout you need to remove the hardware cloth, but you don’t want to remove it too soon.  In the early spring, just about the time the leaves start to come out, remove the hardware cloth from your growing container.  At this time make sure the container is in a shaded location.  About 40% to 50% filtered sunlight would be ideal.  Water the growing medium as necessary, but don’t keep it soaking wet.  It’s important the growing medium be allowed to dry and warm up before you water again.  The seeds need some water, but should not be soaking wet.  But more importantly the seeds need to be warm come spring so they start germinating.  That’s why you should water only when needed so the growing medium stays warm.

8.  You’ve done all you can.  Now it’s up to Mother Nature.  Be patient.  Growing Japanese Maples from seed is a slow but highly rewarding process.  In two to three weeks if the weather is warm, you should see seedlings start to pop up.  The first set of leaves they produce are called cotyledons.  The cotyledons will not look at all like Japanese Maple leaves.  Cotyledons are actually part of the embryo from within the seeds and help to nourish the little seedling until the true leaves appear and take over.  Once the true leaves appear the cotyledons wither and disappear.  At that point photosynthesis begins and your little seedlings are well on their way to becoming beautiful little trees, each with their own unique characteristics.

9.  At some point your Japanese Maple seedlings will have to be transplanted so they have more room to grow and develop.  You can do that as soon as they germinate by simply picking them out of the flat with tweezers and re-planting them in a flat where they’ll have more room, or you can transplant them into a cell pack.  Cell packs are the flimsy, lightweight trays that annual flowers are grown in.  Cell packs are nice because you can later remove the seedlings from the cell pack in nice little root balls.  Cell packs are tapered so plants can be easily removed without disturbing the roots.

Or you can just leave the seedlings in the flat you started with, then at the end of the growing season when they are dormant remove and separate them.  Even if they are really close together that’s usually not a problem for the first growing season.  Throughout the first growing season make sure your seedlings only get about 50% sunlight, since direct sun will burn their leaves.  After the first season I plant mine out in direct sun here in zone 5.  They’d probably benefit from at least some sun and if you are in a warmer zone you should consider some shade.  The older they get the more sun tolerant they are, but Japanese Maples in general take a bit of beating in the direct sun.   Usually the damage isn’t serious, just some browning around the edges.  All of the Japanese Maples in my yard and even the ones in the nursery are in full sun.  Only the young ones get a little protection with me.

Method # 2

1.  In this method you will collect the seeds in fall just as they start to turn brown.  Collect the seeds simply by pulling them from the tree.  They should come off the tree easily.  Place the seeds in a paper bag and store them in a cool dry place.  A basement or garage is fine.  You are not going to do anything with those seeds for a few months, they’ll be fine in the paper bag as long as they are dry.

2.  Establish the “target date” that you can safely plant your seedlings outside.  Here in northern Ohio, zone 5 we are usually safe from frost after May 15th, so that is my target date.  So I will count backwards from May 15th, counting back 100 days.  That takes me back to February 5th.  On February 5th I will retrieve my seeds from the paper bag, break off the wing as describe above and soak them in warm to hot water for 24 hours as described in method #1.

3.  After soaking in water for 24 hours you need to mix the seeds with a combination of sand and peat moss, or a seed starting mix that contains some extra perlite.  You will also need a large zip-lock type freezer bag, but of course that depends on how many seeds you have.  Fill the plastic bag about 1/2 to 3/4 full with the growing medium to make sure have the right amount.  Dump the growing medium out of the bag into a bowl.  Pour the seeds into the bowl on top of the growing medium and mix them together with your hands.  Next sprinkle some water on the mix and mix it some more.  You want the growing medium damp, but not soaking wet.  After mixing the seeds and the growing medium thoroughly pour the combination back into the zip bag.

4.  Press down on the bag to force most of the air out, then poke about three holes near the top of the bag for just a little ventilation.  Place the bag in your refrigerator.  Don’t put it way to the back of the refrigerator because it’s usually colder back there and the medium might freeze.  Although freezing won’t hurt the seeds, it will slow down the stratification process.

The Japanese Maple seeds need a 90 day cold treatment to initiate the germination process.  Ideally they should between 38 degrees F. and 50 degrees F.  In other words, about the same temperature as the main area of your refrigerator where you keep your milk.  From time to time check on your seeds and make sure you do not have a mold problem.  Some people add a little fungicide to the mix from the beginning to prevent mold, but I don’t think it’s necessary.  Should some mold develop just add some fungicide at that time.  Brand doesn’t matter, just a general fungicide from the garden store.  Use only a small amount of fungicide.

5.  After 90 days in the refrigerator remove the bag and inspect it for germinating seeds.  If you see little sprouts pick those seeds out of the bag and plant them in a flat of seed starting medium.  Just poke a little hole in the soil, press the seed into the hole and leave the sprout sticking out.  If there are no sprouting seeds, or few sprouting seeds just leave the bag out on the counter at room temperature and within a week you should see more and more seeds sprouting in the bag.  Remove the sprouted seeds and leave the bag at room temperature until no more seeds seem to be sprouting.

Do not discard the mix in the bag because there are probably seeds in there that are going to take longer to sprout, so just pour the mix into a flat and place it outside where it’s warm.  Keep the flat watered but not soaking wet.

6.  The sprouted seedlings that you planted in the flat are going to need some sunlight as they grow so you’ll either have to give them some artificial light for a few weeks or move them outside into a shaded area.  They need a little sunlight, but direct sun will burn them up.  From there just care for them as you would any seedling.

Method # 3

1.  This method is very much like method number two, but with this method you soak the seeds for 24 hours.  Change the water, using more warm water, soak them for another 24 hours, change the water and soak them for another 24 hours.  So that’s a total of 72 hours of soaking.

2.  After soaking spread the seeds out on a brown paper towel, you know, the kind that you find it restrooms at public buildings.  The brown towels are just about the right consistency, but any paper towel will work.  I’d say the cheaper brands would be better for this purpose.  Spread the seeds out in a row on the towel then fold the towel over top of the seeds a couple of times.  Dampen the paper towel and place it in a plastic bag and place the bag in the refrigerator for 90 days as described above.  After 90 days start checking on the seeds just as described above.

3.  The seeds will sprout inside of the paper towel and you can pick them off the towel, or cut the towel around the seed. If some of the towel is stuck to the seed that’s fine, just plant the seed with a little towel stuck to it.  Some people have told me they use toilet paper because it falls apart and the sprouted seeds are easier to harvest.

So, there you have three different methods.  They all work.  Pick one or try two, or all three.  But by all means do at least one, don’t allow indecision to hold you back.

Have fun growing Japanese Maples from seed!

You never know what you are going to get, maybe the next really, really interesting variety.

If you have enjoyed and found this article useful I hope you will spread the word about http://japanesemaplelovers.com.  We are a community of people who love and collect Japanese Maples.

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By Michael J. McGroarty, Perry, Ohio Copyright 2011

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‘Crimson Queen’ is by far one of the most popular of the  family of Japanese Maples.  Lace-leaf and weeping with deep red color that holds well throughout the summer even in conditions of extreme heat, ’Crimson Queen’ is a great addition to any landscape.  This beautiful dwarf tree does well in zones 5 through 8.  Although partial shade is often recommend for this tree, mine are in full sun and do quite well.

Spring color is very, very red and as the summer goes on the color deepens to more of a scarlet red.  The fall color, right before leaf drop is striking red.  The photo to the left was taken in August after weeks of extreme heat and the tree still has good red color.

New growth comes out with a beautiful red color so early in the spring the tree is very eye catching with it’s vivid red color.

Regular pruning of ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese Maple is essential in order to maintain the desired shape.  Some people think all things should be allow to grow naturally and I’ve seen tree that have been allow to take that path.  They look much more desirable when pruned on a regular basis.

As you can see in this photo the new growth has a brilliant red color, but at some point before the next growing season that new growth needs to be removed.  If it is not removed next spring when the tree leafs out additional new growth will appear on these two branches which already seem out of place.  If pruned off before that happens all of the new growth next spring will cover the tree uniformly and tree will maintain it’s desired shape.

This is pretty typical for most of the dissectum Japanese Maple varieties nearing the end of summer.  It’s pretty common for the edges of the leaves to become dry and a tad crispy.  By no means does this take away from the plant.  Dissectum leaves are finely cut and very delicate and between the wind and the hot summer sun it’s like holding a blow dryer to the leaves.  This is where some partial shading comes in handy, but it’s not really necessary.  You have to look closely to see this condition and since this is a deciduous plant it’s just a temporary condition that does not affect the plant in a negative way at all.

Crimson Queen displaying it’s beautiful red color in the spring.

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Japanese Red Maple seedlings are a really hot item in the nursery business, but allow me to explain exactly what a Japanese Maple seedling is, because people do get confused.  Japanese Maple trees can easily be grown from seed and we do have instructions on how to do that on this site.  When a Japanese Maple is grown from seed it is obviously a seedling.

What many people don’t realize is that many of the Japanese Maples they see in yards and businesses in their daily travels are not seedlings.  Some of the most beautiful Japanese Maples are actually grafted plants.  In other words a cutting is taken from a known and named Japanese Maple and grafted onto a seedling.  When grafting, the cutting that you take from the desired plant is called a scion.  Before you can do any grafting you have to first have a seedling to graft onto.   So the seedling plays a much more important role than most people realize.  When it’s used for the purpose of grafting, the seedling is called the root stock, or under stock.  Root stock is probably the most common term and often appears as one word.  Rootstock.  Which is correct, root stock or rootstock?  I don’t know, you know me, I just love Japanese Maples and don’t get caught up in grammatical details!

When Japanese Maples are grown from seed you cannot predict exactly what the tree is going to look like.  If you collect seeds from an upright Japanese Maple with green leaves, then more than likely you will get a tree that very much resembles the parent plant.  Upright tree, green leaves.  If you collect the seeds from a tree with deep red leaves there’s a really strong chance that you will get some seedlings that have deep red leaves in the spring and some of them will hold that color throughout the summer, depending how well the parent plant actually held its deep red color during the summer months.   But you will also get some seedlings that have green leaves and some will have red leaves in the spring but loose much of that deep red color as the growing season progresses.  In other words, the leaf color of seedlings can vary quite a bit.

As far as ornamental value is concerned there is not much demand for a regular Japanese Maple tree with green leaves.  Some people like them and would be happy to have such a tree in their yard, but most people want a Japanese Maple with deep red leaves.  However, green seedlings are still in high demand on the wholesale nursery market because nursery owners buy them to use as rootstock for grafting.

The most common species of Japanese Maple is Acer palmatum.  Another is Acer japonicum but palmatum is by far the most popular.  All maple trees are in the Acer family.  The terms palatum or japonicum distinuish trees that are commonly called Japanese Maples.  For a detailed explanation of plant nomenclature see this page.

Seedlings from a palmatum variety make a suitable rootstock for grafting any of the other palmatum varieties onto.  So even though Japanese Maple seedlings are really among the most generic of the Japanese Maple family, the seedlings are always in high demand for a number of reasons.  One, they have great value to nursery owners or others who want graft.  Secondly, the seedlings with red leaves sell really well.  Not only as small seedlings, but if grown onto to more mature trees they sell well because they are often sold at a lower price than the named, more in demand varieties.

What most people don’t realize is that most nursery owners don’t grow their own Japanese Maples from seed.  There are nurseries that specialize in growing seedlings, and many nursery owners would much rather buy the seedlings they need for grafting or to line out in the field.  For the most part seedlings are fairly inexpensive.  I am writing this article in the fall of 2011 and right now the current price of acer palmatum (green leaves) is about 55 cents per tree, for a tree that is 1/8″ in diameter.  Seedlings with red leaves sell for more, but are still slightly over a dollar each.  I’ve got some ordered for this fall and I’m paying $1.35 each for them and they are about 24″ tall.

The reason the green ones are sold at 1/8″ in size is because many grafters consider 3/16″  to be the ideal size for grafting.  After those 1/8″ seedlings are grown for one season prior to being grafted they would be the ideal size, 3/16″ to 1/4″ in diameter.

This seedling is the size of the ones that I buy for $1.35 each.

I take seedlings with good red color like the one shown above and plant them out in the field.  After four or five years at the in the field I have really nice 42″ trees that quickly and easily sell for $45.00 each or more.  I’m a Japanese Maple lover, I’d much rather put money into small Japanese Maples than I would the stock market.  But, that’s just me.

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By Michael J. McGroarty, Perry, Ohio Copyright 2011

Most gardeners have no idea how many different kinds of Japanese Maples there are in the world.  Some are aware that there are several different varieties, but most have no idea as to how many there really are.  As close as I can tell there are over 250 different named varieties of Japanese Maples.  Some are similar in appearance, others are very different and totally unique.  That’s what makes collecting these incredible trees so much fun!

The Japanese Red Maple seedling shown in this photo isn’t quite the most generic form of Japanese Maple, but it’s close.  About the only thing that is more generic than this is Acer palmatum which looks just like this but the leaves are green.  Even though they are very generic in appearance, they are literally the foundation that the world of Japanese Maples is built upon because they are so often used as rootstock in the grafting process.

You see, most of the beautiful and breath taking Japanese Maples that you see are not growing on their own roots.  The more desired varieties cannot be grown from seed and getting them to root is very difficult if not impossible..  So the easiest way to reproduce one of these most desirable plants is to take a cutting from the desired variety and “graft” it on to the roots of a Japanese Maple grown from seed.  You can collect seedlings from all Japanese Maple trees, but anytime you grow a plant from seed you get the most generic variety of the species.

Acer palmatum Atropurpureum

The young seedling in the above photo is a perfect example of how tough these little trees are.  This is a fall photo and you can see that this tree looks great.  You should know that this tree has been growing in full sun and was watered with overhead sprinklers and all too often it had to be watered during mid day because when we planted in the spring we did not have a good water supply so we had to water when we could.

Fortunately Mother Nature has given us a little bonus when it comes to Red Japanese Maples.  Often times if you collect seeds from a tree with deep red color the seedlings that those seed produce will often have good red color.  Some will be green, but you should get some red ones.  That’s why I consider it a bonus from Mother Nature.  On this site I have an extensive article about growing Japanese Maples from seed; http://japanesemaplelovers.com/growing-japanese-maples-from-seed/

Japanese Red Maple Seedling

Another fall image.  As you can see the new growth has spectacular red color and
in the background you can see the much deeper red on the more mature leaves.

The Japanese Red Maple tree is kind of an elusive dream for many gardeners because when they see them for sale in their local garden centers they are often quite pricey.  I have two goals with this website.  I want to introduce gardeners to the wonderful world of Japanese Maples, showing them through pictures and video the wide variety of Japanese Maples that the world has to offer.  And at the same time I want people to realize that they don’t have to just dream about owning one or several of these beautiful trees.  On this site we will show you to grow them from seed, how to graft your favorite variety onto  a rootstock, we’ll proably do some summer budding as well, and we will bring together Japanese Maple enthusiasts and vendors who can sell you these beautiful trees at a small affordable size.

Believe it or not, when I buy just a standard Japanese Red Maple tree from one of my wholesale suppliers I only pay about $1.35 each for them!  At the time of this writing I’ve got 2,000 ordered for spring and will probably add to that order before the ship.  When I buy the really rare varieties the wholesale prices range from $8.00 each up to $15.00 each.  Occasionally I spend $30 on something really rare.

Now I can’t promise that you can get them at those prices.  You have to be a member of the trade, and you have to buy in quantity.  But what I’d love to see happen through this website is that members here can get in on some of the deals through our network of vendors that we are going to establish here.  My dream is make it possible for our members to build their own collection of Japanese Maples at the most reasonable prices possible.

People are so envious when they see my beautiful collection, but then when I show them how inexpensive they are when I buy them at small sizes they just can’t believe it.  So I suggest you stay tuned because I am going to work really hard to find ways to put some of the most beautiful varieties into your hands.  No promises, but that’s my goal and I’m quite confident that we can make it happen.

Not only do I have a really nice collection in my yard, but I also have a small nursery here in Perry, Ohio where we specialize in Japanese Maples and the collection in the nursery is growing all the time.  Spend some time looking around http://japanesemaplelovers.com, you’ll quickly realize how magical these beautiful trees are and how addictive growing and collecting them can be.  Enjoy the ride!  -Mike McGroarty

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Japanese Maples are one of the most impressive plants in the plant kingdom, and as you will discover here, I have a bit of a passion for them. Enjoy my Japanese Maple Collection!

I have to apologize for the audio part of this video.  The little camera that I was using will not accept an external microphone so the wind was causing some issues while I was recording.  In the future I’ll shoot a better video because since this was shot my trees have grown and my collection has grown considerably.  -Mike McGroarty

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