Japanese maples are deciduous shrubs and trees that adorn gardens, patios, terraces and flower beds around the world. The red foliage looks attractive, the decorative appearance of plants with a purple, orange, maroon crown is appreciated by landscape design professionals and amateur gardeners. Japanese maple (red) is a challenge to the author of the phrase “green spaces” that has set the teeth on edge. The unusual coloring of the graceful leaves is the result of natural processes and painstaking work of breeders.
Maple with red leaves and openwork crown
Japanese maple acquired its spectacular appearance thanks to a complex biochemical composition. From school, many people know about chlorophyll, which gives the leaves a green color. In addition to this pigment, there are carotenoids in the composition of plants, their presence causes red, yellow and orange color. Violet, brown, orange and red shades of foliage are due to the accumulation of anthocyanins in the cell sap. Beautifully shaped leaf blades can be painted in purple and carmine tones,in harmony with the gray tint of the bark. The crown of trees is usually rounded, found in the form of an oval or mushroom cap. The dissected leaves of red maples look like lace from a distance. Inflorescences, fruits, even bark patterns - the entire aerial part looks very decorative. Leaves become brighter in autumn and fall off in winter. But the plant continues to please the eye with the grace of thin branches, an unusual crown.
Decorative red maple
The plant belongs to the Sapindaceae family (lat. Sapindaceae), belongs to the genus Maple. Homeland - the forests of Southeast Asia. The variety of small forms of Japanese maples is surprising; they have been created in the Land of the Rising Sun for centuries. Now in many countries, breeders are breeding new cultivars of a popular ornamental plant. Varieties of maples belonging to three species look bright and elegant:
- maple palm-shaped or fan-shaped (Acer palmatum);
- Japanese red maple (Acer japonicum);
- Shirasawa Maple (Acer shirasawanum).
Golden Shirasawa maple foliage in gardens and terraces in summer turns bright orange in autumn. Dutch varieties of fan maple are covered in spring with glossy dark red leaves that change color to orange-red before falling. The openwork crown acquires bright shades in good sunlight or in partial shade.
Fan maple (fan)
Compact red fan maple showcases we althshades of purple, orange and pink. This species is native to the forests of Japan, East China and Korea. Under natural conditions, trees reach a height of 8–10 m. The crown becomes rounded or mushroom-shaped with age. Young shoots of the plant are covered with colored skin. In spring, the leaves turn red, in summer they turn green in some cultivars, and turn purple in autumn. The flowers are collected in bright loose inflorescences. The shape of the lionfish varies greatly among different varieties of fan maple. The plant is thermophilic, demanding on soil fertility and moisture, but does not tolerate excess water. Temperatures below -15 ° C lead to damage to the root system. The species is propagated by seeds, which can be sown immediately after they are collected. Common forms of palm-shaped maple: pink-bordered, crimson, purple dissected and others.
Planting a red maple
Trees with red leaves look good alone in groups. When planting, the distance between plants should be left 1.5–3.5 m. For seedlings, a planting hole 50–70 cm deep is prepared. Good drainage should be taken care of in a wetland (sand, gravel, construction waste). Red maple seedlings are placed in a hollow with a loose layer on the bottom. Fill the planting hole halfway with water and cover it with a substrate that is mixed with a complete mineral fertilizer. There are new varieties that do not exceed 1.5 m in height, they can grow in containers. Pots for planting should choose ceramic or plastic in the Japanese style. Maple red prefers loose,humus-rich substrates, does not like waterlogging. The soil for containers is mixed with compost in a ratio of 1: 1 or prepared from equal parts of sod land and peat, sand is added.
Japanese maple care
Red maples do not require radical pruning, but be sure to remove diseased and dry branches. In spring, care consists in replacing the top layer of compost with fresh, previously enriched with fertilizers. The mixture is prepared from 40 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium s alt. The trunk circle can be covered with mulch to retain moisture and protect against crusting. Watering in the summer must be combined with top dressing and loosening. Red maple tolerates a lack of moisture, but loses its decorative effect. The irrigation regime must be adjusted depending on the climate of the area and weather conditions. Winter hardiness largely depends on the type, variety and age of plants. In autumn, the roots of young trees and bushes on the site should be insulated with dry leaves, and the containers should be brought into the room.
Diseases and pests
Maple, whose red leaves are pleasing to the eye, may suffer from powdery mildew, coral blotch. Shoots damaged by phytoparasites should be removed, cuts should be covered with garden pitch and tools should be disinfected. Before bud break, it can be treated with copper sulphate, dusted with sulfur. Trees and shrubs are attacked by phytophages: maple whitefly, mealybug, leaf weevil. Spraying is carried out at the stagelarvae feeding on the Aktellik preparation, dry leaves are collected and destroyed in autumn.
Reproduction of red maple
In autumn, cuttings (20 cm) are cut for vegetative propagation. They are added dropwise for the winter, and rooted in containers or pots in the spring. Fill containers with light soil, be sure to mix with sand. In spring, buds or cuttings of ornamental cultivars are grafted onto more winter-hardy and fast-growing varieties of the same species (or closely related ones). For seed reproduction, lionfish are collected and sown in the fall in the soil. But it is better to create conditions for them that resemble stratification in nature, which occurs in winter at a temperature of about 3 ° C. In the spring, the seeds are soaked before sowing, and when they hatch, they are sown in the garden to a depth of 4 cm. In the summer, in the heat, the seedlings need to be shaded. Seedlings that have reached 50–80 cm can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Red maple in the garden
Red maple is a hardy plant, but vulnerable to direct sunlight, drafts. Trees and bushes affected by adverse conditions may shed their leaves prematurely. Branches and roots are damaged by frost if the temperature drops below -15 ° C. Maples do not like open areas facing south. The ideal place for them is protected from the wind, with mosaic lighting. All cultivars are suitable for Asian style garden, patio landscaping and front garden. The umbrella-shaped crown creates a shadow in the corners of the rest and on the paths of the garden, contrasts with the bright greenery of the evergreen hedge, plants,typical of the middle lane. Original shrubs and trees can be used in rocky gardens, they are in harmony with dark coniferous species. Fast-growing varieties of palmate and fan maples reach a height of 4-5 m. Perennial flowers can be planted under the canopy of these redwoods, which do not require good lighting.
