Plant of the Week: Japanese Maple

Common Name: Lace leaf Japanese maple

Type: tree

Family: Aceraceae

Zone: 5b to 8b      Find Your Zone

Height: 10 to 15 foot

Width: 10 to 15 foot

Bloom Color: red (not showy)

Sun Exposure:  partial

Soil: well drained

Leaves: Deciduous

Fertilizer: Vigoro Tree, Shrub and Evergreen or Miracle Gro Evergreen Tree Spikes

With so many color and texture options available with these trees, the possibilities are endless. Japanese maples are known for their beautiful colors and textures. They are a slow to moderate growing, medium sized deciduous tree that will become the primary focal point in any landscape. The lace leaf Japanese maple (dissectum etropurpureum) is also a brilliant, lower growing option, for smaller spaces. Lace leaf is a much slower grower. Some of the more popular cultivars include Inaba shidare and Crimson Queen.

PLANTING GUIDE

STEP 1: Digging the hole

• Find a location that has suitable sun exposure for your particular type of plant.
• Dig your hole an inch or two shallower than the rootball of the plant.
• Dig the hole twice the diameter of the rootball.
• Scuff up the sides of the hole with a shovel to help roots break through the native soil.
  

STEP 2: Putting plant in hole

• When removing the plant from the pot, check to see if the roots were circling the pot.
• If the plant is rootbound, gently break up the roots with your hands until loosened up.
• Set plant level, in the center of the hole.
• Make sure the top of the rootball is just above soil level.

STEP 3: Amending the soil and filling in the hole

• Amend the soil with proper amendments for your soil type. 
  
• Incorporate 50% native soil with 50% amendment soils like garden soil, composted manure or soil conditioner.
• Make sure dirt clods are broken up or removed from hole along with rocks.
• Fill the hole with soils to the soil level and pack down. Do not cover top of rootball with dirt.
  
• Water in thoroughly to remove air pockets.

STEP 4: Mulching and fertilizing

• Cover the planting site with at least 2 inches of the mulch of your choice (pinestraw, cupress mulch,etc.)
• High Phosphorus root stimulator fertilizers like Quick Start from Miracle Gro are great to use at time of planting.
• When planting trees, a tree stake kit may be required to prevent the wind from blowing over or breaking our newly planted tree until it becomes established.

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