Maples are not only one of the most picturesque, but also the most varied tree species. Despite the fact that these filigree beauties are found almost all over the globe, the most famous of the maples today remain the species that symbolize the classic flora of the Land of the Rising Sun. They are related not only by the natural area, but also by the unique play of colors, the transparency of the silhouettes and the bewitching watercolor.
Japanese maples and their best varieties
Japanese maples are maple species united by origin: they all come from the alluring and mysterious Land of the Rising Sun. Endemics and their cultivars of this group are very popular and are considered the most sought-after representatives of the genus, distinguished by their extraordinary picturesque silhouette and the beauty of carved foliage. They belong to:
Actually Japanese maple(Acer japonicum), which, due to low frost resistance, can be grown only in the south or as a tub plant - very beautiful plant with deeply dissected graceful leaves and a complex color from green to cherry and burgundy ( decorative forms- large- and small-leaved, golden, aconitolous);
become legendary fan maple(Acer palmatum) and its many varieties;
More rare, but no less beautiful Maple Shirasawa(Acer shirasawanum) only up to one and a half meters high, in which leaves with a small section are distinguished by a larger plate width (classic varieties are colored yellow and orange, the ‘Aureum’ form has an original border along the edge of the leaves).
Almost all of the range gardening centers maples from Japan - varietal plants representing an assortment of fan maples and their hybrid and selective forms. Basic Views two other oriental plants are much rarer and, as a rule, significantly inferior cultural forms fan maple in the possibility of choosing different colors and forms of cultivation. You can understand the names of individual varieties without problems only if you speak Japanese: each name of the fan maple variety means key feature plants, which is sometimes reflected in the English decoding in the catalogs of large companies.
To the best varieties Japanese maples are rightly considered to be such fan maples as:
Openwork crimson 'Bloodgood' with delightful inky black leaf tint and bright fruit, capable of showing unusual dark coloration even in shade; 
- bright scarlet maple "Beni Kava" with light leaves and a very bright scarlet shade of the bark;
- variety "Orangeola", which also has a beautiful spring outfit of almost yellow young foliage;
- variety "Katsura" with reddish young leaves and bright "curly" green summer decoration, growing well in tubs;
- variety with scarlet autumn foliage "Osakazuki";
- longline variety "Nicholsonii" with a height of 2 to 3 meters with an autumn crown showing all shades of brick red;
- multi-stemmed and very picturesque maples with powerful curved branches "Aconitifolium" with a flaming dark red outfit, decorated with rare flashes of kraplak and brick;
- three - four-meter "Dissectum" with elongated coniferous leaves and a bright orange-yellow color with occasional splashes of other tones;
- two-meter with a very wide spreading crown, burgundy basic and orange autumn color maple fan varieties "Dissectum Garnet";
- compact and denser squat one and a half meter variety "Mikawa yatsubusa" with thin needle-shaped leaves and an outfit that transforms from acrylic green to orange-scarlet;
- a little more than a meter wide spreading maple "Shino Buga Oka" with very deeply cut leaves and a change in color from bright green to yellow-orange.
Decorative virtues of Japanese maple species
Associations with established the best craftsmen watercolor landscapes arise in everyone who admires the autumn decoration of the maple. It is in the final season for all deciduous trees that maples turn into real dominants in any design: even the abundance of bright crowns of classic shrubs and trees in the neighborhood cannot overshadow the beauty of these unique plants. Maples are not accidentally called the main symbol autumn garden. These not so gigantic trees really seem to have absorbed all the best that autumn nature can offer the admiring viewer. On cloudy and bad weather, they illuminate entire compositions around them, and on sunny days, they glow from the inside and shimmer joyfully.
The decorativeness of maples lies in the amazing beauty of details with the general nobility and sophistication of silhouettes and shapes. After all, the contours of the maple, the shape of its lush crown and the graceful bends of the branches are no less filigree than the carved leaves. The lines of this plant are an impeccable example of picturesqueness, built on the harmony of naturalness and showiness. In Japanese maple species, the crown is tiered or translucent, lush lace and almost weightless at the same time. And all the beauty of the foliage mass only emphasizes the decorativeness of each individual leaf, divided into elegant pointed lobes.
The color palette only crowns, emphasizes and exalts the beauty of the plants themselves, reveals their nobility and elegance. Incredible and rare tones of yellow, orange, red in autumn and young leaves, and light shades green or rich dark red in summer, maples are bright, picturesque and clean. Each maple, even among representatives of the same variety, has a special and inimitable color. It directly depends on the characteristics of the weather in each year, on the conditions of the place of growth and care. Even in seemingly similar neighboring gardens, two identical maples can turn into different shades! Maples will take time to show all their eccentricity: young plants rarely show all their color talents and only in adulthood gain relative constancy.
Wherein bright colors, with which, as if by a wave of a magic brush, she painted Maple leaves nature, are distinguished not only by their catchiness, but also by the effect of an inner glow: the transparency of the crowns themselves makes each shade of the almost acrylic "maple" palette completely unique. As if the maples in the garden that have absorbed the sunlight have a real magical effect: attracting admiring glances, they invariably become the center of everyone's attention.
Use in garden design and selection of partners
Japanese maples, especially rare varieties, are quite expensive and valuable plants, they always and everywhere play the role of main accents and important points of attraction for the eye. They are placed only in such a way as to maximize the advantage of revealing the beauty of the plant itself. Maples of Japanese varieties are always planted in the best locations of the garden, near the most advantageous and structurally important objects. Most often they can be found near a terrace or pond, in front gardens, rock gardens, rock gardens and rockeries, near a large recreation area or in a landscape group that enlivens large expanses of lawns. Such maples are not afraid of both solo parts and the neighborhood of other plants.
Picking up companions for maples is not an easy task. Such stars of any landscape need a worthy accompaniment - bright, but still less catchy than the woody ones themselves, corresponding to the “level” of maples both in texture, and in palette, and in luxury of details.
One of the typical landscapes of the Land of the Rising Sun is a quiet and secluded corner for relaxing under the shade of a maple, the beauty of which is “supported” by pillows of flowering chrysanthemums. The laconic, restrained, but surprisingly picturesque duet remains today perfect example selection of classic companions for the design of any garden. It also looks very good under Japanese maples and rootstock from epimedium or hakonechloa, ferns, volzhanka, shadow sedge and rhododendrons (especially deciduous varieties, which also explode with bright fireworks of transformation of leaves in autumn). You can always limit yourself to a minimalistic design: decorative stone chips in the near-trunk zone and balancing the crown with one or two plants or large boulders around the perimeter. Of the large - equivalent - partners, maples are better combined with representatives of the coniferous family.
Key features of cultivation and care
The undoubted advantage of maples originally from Japan is the ability to grow even in modest conditions. They will take root without much difficulty on scarce and insufficiently high-quality soils, provided that the lack nutrients will be replenished with at least rare top dressing with mineral mixtures with a prolonged effect. Carry out such feeding in early spring, as an adaptive and growth-enhancing measure. If maples are grown in a tub, the soil must be rich in organic matter and of very high quality. It is no coincidence that Japanese maples are often used to decorate ponds: they grow well in moist, but not wet soils and fresh garden soils.
All Japanese maples are able to adapt to any light without loss of color: dark red - including the shade, and the rest - in the penumbra and diffused bright light. All maples of Japanese origin are not afraid of drafts.
Picturesque plants have become famous precisely for their natural silhouettes, so pruning will not burden the care of maples growing on the site. Only in the first four years of cultivation in spring can the crown be slightly adjusted, and otherwise pruning comes down to breaking out dry branches at a time when the maple is already at rest.
In the dry season, Japanese maples are best watered additionally. It is enough to carry out maintenance procedures once a month, using about 15 liters of water per 1 plant. For tub maples, maintain a constant light moisture in the substrate. Another mandatory component of care is mulching the trunk circle with any available materials(layer - from 3 to 5 cm).
Dwarf maple belongs to the Japanese maple group, which includes compact and low trees with a through crown of leaves and their original color.
The following types of maples are called Japanese:
- Fan or hand-shaped;
- Shirasawa;
- And actually, Japanese.
All of them come from Japan and Korea. Thanks to the beautiful shape of the leaves, the original crown and bright colors, maples are very popular in landscape design.
All representatives of this group have curved trunks, graceful branches, crown asymmetrical shape. The leaves can be colored in bright red, yellow-orange and carmine shades.
Palmate maples are most often used in garden compositions. They are planted next to coniferous trees, cereal crops, perennial garden plants.
Miniature maples of this species are small deciduous trees or shrubs with an umbrella-shaped crown medium density. The height of the trees does not exceed three meters in height. They are slow growing and long lasting. Trees retain their viability for more than a hundred years.
Dwarf palm-shaped maples are highly decorative throughout the growing season. They are planted in the form of hedges, decorative groups, as single landings.
Today, dwarf maples of the Japanese group are very popular, such as:
- Maple Acer palmatum Atropurpureum or red-leaved. This is one of the popular varieties. Its thin dissected leaves are dark purple;
- The Kiyohime maple is a small bush, about one meter eighty centimeters high, with green leaves, the edges of which are painted red. Feels great in partial shade. It belongs to frost-resistant species, safely tolerates a drop in temperature to minus thirty degrees;
- The Aka shigitatsu sawa variety is represented by trees no more than three meters high with dissected leaves on which green veins are clearly visible;
- The original Wilson's Pink Dwarf variety is represented by very beautiful specimens that cannot tolerate temperatures below minus fifteen degrees. Japanese maples of this variety are shrubs with a height of about two and a half meters and a crown width of up to one and a half meters. Maple stems are painted red, on which fan leaves are located. Which with the advent of autumn acquire orange hues.
Each of the representatives of dwarf maples will add zest to any garden or park area.
Dwarf maples grow well not only in lighted spaces, but also in partial shade. But, when choosing a landing site, one must take into account the fact that in case of insufficient lighting, color saturation is lost.
The next point is location. Maples need space to thrive. Therefore, when planting in groups, a distance of one and a half to three and a half meters must be observed, depending on the variety of the planted maple.
Now the landing pit. It should be deep enough, about seventy centimeters. To ensure good moisture conductivity, a drainage layer about ten centimeters thick is laid on the bottom. broken brick, pebbles and river sand.
The next step is soil preparation. Maples need light and nutritious soil. Therefore, you need to prepare a substrate of the following composition:
- humus or peat - three parts;
- sod land - two parts;
- river sand - one part.
After preparatory work you can proceed directly to planting maple seedlings.
And so, the prepared pit must be filled halfway with water and allowed to soak, then it is filled with the prepared substrate by two-thirds and 150 grams of nitroammophoska are added. A maple seedling is placed in a hole, the roots are carefully leveled, then the space is filled with a substrate so that the root collar is at ground level. After the soil is trampled down and watered, and the root circle is mulched with peat and sawdust.
There are varieties of Japanese maple, the height of which does not exceed one and a half meters, and such specimens are successfully grown in special flowerpots and pots. They are used to create interiors of large terraces, living rooms, small areas. For such landings choose volumetric ceramic or clay pots, which are filled with light nutrient soil with sand and a lot of humus.
In the garden, maples can be planted using seedlings, which are sold in specialized stores, or grown independently from cuttings or stock.
Caring for dwarf maples is not that difficult. It is important to strictly follow the landing rule:
- site illumination;
- the desired soil (nutritional value, water conductivity, acidity, etc.);
- remote location.
Maples need regular watering. AT summer period in the absence of rain, they need to be watered once every seven days. One plant needs about twenty liters of water. At normal humidity, you can water the maples once a month.
Also, in a dry season, trees respond favorably to spraying their crowns with water. It is recommended to perform this procedure in the evening hours.
To maintain the decorativeness of Japanese maples, they need to be fed periodically. This is done in the spring, before the buds open. During this period, maples need to be fed with urea, potassium salts, superphosphate.
The land around the trees must be regularly cleared of weeds and loosened, thereby providing oxygen to their roots. You also need to periodically mulch the soil around the tree trunk. To do this, you can use peat or humus.
The crown of maples has its own natural original shape, so its pruning consists in removing dry and damaged branches, which is not particularly difficult even for beginner gardeners.
To ensure the safety of trees in winter period they need to be covered, especially when it comes to young specimens and snowless winters.
Trees at the age of one or two years should be covered with spruce branches around the root collar and wrap the trunks with burlap. By overgrowth, maples form a resilience and over time will not need shelter.
The decorativeness of dwarf maples can significantly spoil various diseases and garden pests.
Most often, maples affect:
- powdery mildew;
- coral spotting;
- black spotting.
Diseased shoots are removed, and the trees need to be processed blue vitriol, sulfuric solution or other fungicidal preparations.
At improper care, trees can be attacked by pests in the form of whitefly, mealybug, leaf weevil. When they are detected, maples must be treated with insecticidal preparations.
Maple reproduction
Decorative dwarf maples at home can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.
Seeds are collected independently in the middle of autumn or purchased in a store. They are sown in planting boxes and germinated. At the beginning of winter, the first shoots appear. Seedlings should be watered periodically. Until spring, boxes with seedlings should be kept indoors at a temperature of about ten degrees. Then the seedlings are transplanted into individual pots. When they grow up and reach a thirty-forty centimeter size, they can be planted in open ground in a permanent place.
It is quite difficult to propagate Japanese maples using cuttings on their own. Since they need to be grafted onto maples with a more stable root system. For a gardener who does not have experience and certain knowledge in this area, it will be extremely difficult to carry out this process on his own.
Therefore, most often, gardeners prefer to purchase ready-made seedlings for planting in the garden.
The Japanese maple differs from the holly-leaved specimen familiar to European latitudes in its peculiar foliage color. Shrubs or trees grow no higher than 10 m and are suitable for decoration garden plot. Subject to the planting conditions, the seedling will quickly take root and eventually produce seeds suitable for further propagation.
Planting for a seedling
The tree attracts attention with an orange or red crown and grayish trunk bark. There are several varieties of plants, seedlings are chosen based on the size of their own plot.
Source: Depositphotos
Japanese maple is distinguished by a peculiar color of foliage
Purchase a young maple in a container. So the roots of the tree will not suffer during planting, and the soil familiar to the plant will increase the chances of survival. Choose a seedling up to a year old, with healthy leaves and no obvious damage.
First of all, find a place on the site suitable for maple, without drafts and with good lighting. Presence nearby big trees undesirable.
The simple landing rules are as follows:
- Prepare a 30 cm deepening in the soil.
- The tree does not like waterlogging, so form a drainage layer from screenings or small stones 5 cm thick.
- Moisten the soil, remove the seedling from the container and place it in the hole.
- Top with soil containing peat.
- Pour young tree spray the leaves with water.
Maple is undemanding to the composition of the soil, the main condition is the presence of humus. An alkaline environment is categorically not suitable for a plant. Further watering is organized often, in small volumes.
Growing from seed
Organize the collection of seeds in the fall, when they begin to fall off. For the next 4 months, keep them in a cold place where the temperature does not exceed +5 ° C, in a container with moistened sand.
Basic cultivation steps:
- In late April or early May, place the seeds for 3 days in hydrogen peroxide to disinfect.
- Mix the soil with sand, peat and humus before planting.
- The depth of maple seeds is over 3 cm. For planting, use containers 20 cm high and 15 cm in diameter.
- Keep the soil moist throughout the next time.
Helps speed up germination Greenhouse effect. You will see the first shoots after 2 weeks. After the appearance of the first leaves, transplant the plant into open ground. Maple grows slowly, plant care includes 3 steps:
- timely watering;
- soil loosening;
- weed removal.
Subject to the conditions of planting and care, maple sprouts will reach a height of 20–35 cm by autumn. After 1–3 years, transplant the seedlings to a permanent place.
A beautiful plant with caring care attracts with bright foliage and an unusual trunk. Periodic pruning of branches contributes to the formation of the crown of the desired shape.
Many people in modern world find time to maintain their garden. In it they grow vegetables, fruits, flowers and many others. exotic plants. The Japanese maple belongs to the latter category. We will teach you how to choose the right one. Let's talk about the rules of landing and various types decorative tree.
General characteristics
Today there are about 100 types of wood. The plant is easy to recognize by the following criteria:
- bush or tree with foliage;
- height can be from 2 to 10 meters, depending on the variety;
- leaves of a small size of a bright shade;
- acceptable colors: green, yellow, fiery red, pink;
- leaf shape resembles a palm tree;
- during flowering, small flowers are formed.
Japanese maple is suitable for people who love the autumn mood and its exuberant colors. There are many varieties of such a tree, it is worth mentioning separately some important varieties.
To the store
We will bring you the most unique and amazing trees that you will find in a store or nursery.
- "Aconitifolium" . Foliage is bright green from spring to late summer. AT autumn period the shade of the tree is yellow-orange. The shape of the leaves resembles deep lobes.
- Aureum . This is a variety of finger maple. The crown has a bright yellow tint. The shape of the leaves resembles finely indented blades. Among these representatives there are trees with colored bark.
- "Atropurpurreum" . The shape of the leaves is the same as in the previous variety. Preferably different from all other types of its colors. Throughout the season, the crown changes from bright red to black-purple.
- "dissectum" . The leaves have a semicircular flattened shape. Their color is most often red-purple.
On this variety ornamental trees do not end. You can choose a plant according to your taste preferences, which will harmoniously fit into the landscape of the garden plot.
Why is it needed?
The Japanese Maple is easy to plant and care for and looks great in the following locations:
- pond;
- rock garden;
- lawn near the house or terrace;
- front garden.
Professional garden designers grow trees on the roofs of buildings. You can beautifully and originally plant it in separate wooden barrels or tubs. If you are a fan of the bonsai style, then it is Japanese maple seedlings that are used to compose plant compositions. Let's move on to the next important step.
Landing
The procedure is simple, but requires special knowledge. Planting a Japanese maple requires necessary materials. To do this, prepare:
- tree seedlings;
- compost;
- peat.
Landing is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Dig a hole. It should be twice as deep and wide as the root of the tree.
- If you bought a ready-made plant cutting, then free it from the pot. Unravel the roots and loosen the soil before planting.
- Add pre-prepared compost and peat to the pit.
- Bury the plant.
- Make a depression around the bush, which is required for convenient watering.
- Moisten the tree thoroughly so that the roots take root in the new soil more quickly.
- The next spring after planting, add a layer of mulch under the tree. It should consist of earth with rotten leaves.
- If the summer is too hot, then the bush needs to be watered more often.
In order for the plant to take root well and quickly, you need to prepare the right place.
Where to plant?
Japanese maple will develop in an ideal place, which must meet the following indicators:
- If you are planting a finger variety, then prepare a shade for it. For everyone else, the sunny side is suitable.
- The soil must be permeable. If the tree will not come right amount moisture, the leaves will turn brown.
- The place where the maple should grow should not be treated with lime. After contact with the substance, the leaves begin to fall off the bush.
Now you know where and how to plant Japanese maple. Grooming is the next stage in growing an ornamental plant.
We save correctly
The basic care of the plant includes the following items, the implementation of which is mandatory:
- Although the tree loves well-moistened soil, it should not be constantly wet. This can rot the roots.
- If your site is small, no problem. The bush can take root on any plot of land, the lighting of which may not be suitable for the variety.
- Maples are not afraid of drafts.
- Trees need to be pruned every spring. This procedure in the first years of the plant's life will help it to find the right shape. In the subsequent period, you can simply remove dry and diseased branches.
- Once a month you need to carry out additional watering. About 15 liters of water per root.
- In August, it is recommended to stop all feeding.
Remember! Additional watering in no way cancels on-demand humidification.
The quality of the tree will directly depend on the seed.
How to buy?
If you decide to add a touch of brightness and originality to your garden, then you should choose Japanese maple. Seeds can be purchased at specialized stores or ordered from a catalog. In this case, no one will give a guarantee that you can grow. It is better to make a purchase in nurseries and purchase ready-made seedlings. To do this, you are provided with the following recommendations:
- Examine the plant. It must be healthy. It is better if the bush is sold in a pot or container.
- Make a purchase in early spring or autumn so that the plant can be planted immediately.
- Do not purchase a tree in the summer. It is not recommended to plant it during this period, because the plant does not take root well due to drought.
Few people know, but Japanese maple can be grown not only in open field. This is ideal for home conditions.
indoor tree
At home, they grow a special dwarf variety. Japanese maple on the windowsill has a positive effect on the apartment. Namely:
- humidifies the air;
- increases the amount of oxygen in your apartment;
- from spring to autumn will delight with its flowering.
Despite the fact that the plant is easy to plant and care for, it is constantly attacked. various pests, for example:
- whitefly;
- spider mite;
For the treatment and prevention of diseases, use this solution: dissolve 1 mg of decis in a liter of water. Mix thoroughly and spray your Japanese dwarf maple with it.
room care
The procedure should include the following:
- thorough watering from spring to late autumn;
- in winter time it is better to reduce the moisture content of a plant in a pot by half;
- tree fertilization with complex preparations is allowed;
- transplant the plant into a larger container every two years.
You have met outdoor and indoor Japanese maple. Now you can grow in your garden decorative ornament, for which you can take care of according to all the recommendations.
Speaking of "Japanese maples", as a rule, they mean two types of trees. from the maple family, or Aceraceae. The genus name comes from the Latin word "acer" meaning "sharp". The leaves of most maple species have sharp edges.
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) is a slow growing shrub that can decorate both a small and a large garden. He is petite and handles a haircut well. This means that it is possible to maintain the dimensions of the shrub at a very modest level for many years. Gardeners southern regions lucky - in warm regions, this maple grows without problems. AT middle lane palmate maple can only be grown in a container, bringing in late autumn in winter Garden or other cool room.
Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) is no less capricious in relation to Russian winters. Under natural conditions, this is not a large tree, but in culture it reaches 8-10 m in height. The branches are reddish-ash. The bark is gray, smooth, does not crack.
For those who are fascinated by the beauty of Japanese maples, but frightened by their fastidiousness to the Russian climate, other scarlet beauties can be advised.
Manchu maple (Acer mandshuricum) comes from the Far Eastern forests of Russia. The very first of the "autumn" is painted in bright red tones. It reaches a height of 20 m.
Maple red, or swamp (Acer Rubrum) is from Canada. Winter-hardy, reaches up to 30 m in height. A free-growing tree has an ash-gray crown shape in the form of a tent. The foliage is painted in bright red with a raspberry, pink tint.