How do you grow a maple? Forest bathing gives us a clue.
Shinrin-yoku, or the art of bathing in the sounds and stillness of a forest, paints a pretty good picture of how to grow Japanese maples.
Often given a finicky reputation, maples are an easy-to-grow and rewarding plant that can be grown in just about any garden, if you follow five simple rules:
Position: To practise forest bathing, people enter meditative woodlands with dappled sunlight to fully immerse in nature. Wild maple forests are just that: vast woodlands that are still, tranquil and serene. Choose a balanced position that has part-sun and part-shade.
We do this because light influences the leaf colour of your maples. Maples exposed to more light tend to change their leaf colours sooner than maples in deep shade. Leaves are also more vibrant when exposed to sun. This is true for red-leaved maples, which have a deeper scarlet hue when placed in full sun positions. On the flip side, our harsh Tasmanian sun and drying winds can scorch maple leaves, especially in summer.
Try this: Choose a dappled eastern or southern aspect that will receive morning light, protected from harsh and drying winds.
Soil: Maples enjoy a slightly acidic soil that is nutrient rich with organic matter. In a woodland setting there are russet leaves overhead and underfoot, and old branches and twigs are scattered about providing plenty of nutrients over autumn and spring, as well as mulch over winter.
To emulate this, add plenty of organic matter, such as good-quality compost (SeaGreens Organic Compost $12.99) and mulch (pea straw or sugar cane mulch $26.99), to the area around your maples. In-ground maples can be fed a slow-release fertiliser, while container specimens should be liquid fed once a month over the growing period.
Try this: Grow maples in moist, nutrient-rich soil with a pH range between 5.5–6.5.
Watering: Woodland forests are consistently moist, due to understory lighting and the leaf matter blanketing the ground. Maples do not tolerate periods of drought or waterlogging. Autumn is the best time to plant maples as you have a better chance of the soil staying consistently moist while your new plant establishes itself. Ensure maples receive adequate watering for the first three years while it is acclimatising in your garden.
Try this: Water new plantings deeply and ensure the area around your maple has adequate mulch to retain moisture at all times.
Pruning: Part of the delight of a wild woodland forest is its rambling, untouched quality. Your new maple generally does not require (or particularly desire) a prune, especially if it is a weeping variety. Allowing your maple to naturally develop its habit often leads to surprising and appealing characteristics in the garden.
Try this: Unless you’re growing maples for bonsai, prune maples only if necessary by removing dead or diseased branches in summer, when the tree is in full leaf, or winter, when the tree is dormant.
Varieties: Choose maples that will suit your landscape. If you have a large garden, opt for taller specimens such as Bloodgood ($180) or Senkaki ($79.99). Choose weeping varieties such as Inaba-shidare ($235) or Hana Matoi ($110) and dense, compact varieties such as Mikawa Yatsubusa ($79.99) for a feature tree that can be planted under other deciduous trees.
Try this: Mix tall and dwarf varieties of maples together for a full garden display.
Pests and Diseases
Maples are generally trouble free, however, sometimes trees can suffer from pests and diseases, especially when sited in a challenging location.
Leaf Scorch: Some varieties of maples, such as ‘Chantilly Lace’ and ‘Orido-Nishiki’, can suffer from leaf scorch brought on by environmental stressors, such as wind, summer sun, drought and waterlogging. These are all characteristics of Tasmania’s weather patterns, so choose a micro-climate that is protected.
Aphids: Sap-sucking insects, such as aphids, enjoy feasting on young maple leaves in spring. Monitor your garden in spring to stop aphid attacks early, and ensure your garden has a diverse range of beneficial flowers and plants to attract natural predators such as ladybirds and parasitic wasps.
Fungal Diseases: Sites with limited ventilation and a lack of good garden hygiene can sometimes lead to fungal diseases such as verticillium wilt and powdery mildew. Ensure there is enough space between plants to allow a natural airflow and ensure plants are positioned in an ideal location.
If you follow these basic rules and add a little bit of patience to the mix, you will be well on your way to enjoying an exquisite autumnal display every year for many years to come. Happy gardening!
