The dwarf maple belongs to the group of Japanese maples, 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-shaped or palm-shaped;
• Shirasawa;
• And actually, Japanese.

All of them come from Japan and Korea. Thanks to the beautiful shape of the leaves, original crown and bright color, maples are very popular in landscape design.

All representatives of this group have curved trunks, graceful branches, and an asymmetrical crown. The leaves can be colored in bright red, yellow-orange and carmine shades.

Palm maples are most often used in garden compositions. They are planted next to coniferous trees, cereal crops, perennial garden plants.

Miniature maples of this type 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 characterized by slow growth and longevity. Trees remain viable for more than a hundred years.

Dwarf palm-shaped maples are highly decorative throughout the entire growing season. They are planted in the form of hedges, decorative groups, and as single plantings.

Today, dwarf maples of the Japanese group are very popular, such as:

• Acer palmatum Atropurpureum or red leaf maple. This is one of the popular varieties. Its thin, dissected leaves are dark purple;
• The Kiyohime maple is a small bush, about one meter and eighty centimeters high, with green leaves whose edges are colored red. Feels great in partial shade. Refers to frost-resistant species, safely tolerates temperatures down 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 presented very beautiful specimens who cannot tolerate temperatures below minus fifteen degrees. Japanese maples of this variety are shrubs about two and a half meters high and a crown width of up to one and a half meters. The stems of the maple are painted red, on which fan leaves are located. Which with the arrival of autumn acquire orange shades.

Each of the representatives of dwarf maples will add zest to any garden or park area.

Dwarf maples grow well not only in illuminated spaces, but also in partial shade. But, when choosing a place for planting, you need to take into account the fact that in insufficient lighting, color saturation is lost.

The next point is location. For full development, maples need space. Therefore, when planting in groups, you need to maintain a distance of one and a half to three and a half meters, depending on the variety of maple being planted.

Now 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 bricks, pebbles and river sand.

The next stage 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;
• turf 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 in, then it is filled two-thirds with the prepared substrate and 150 grams of nitroammophoska is added. The maple seedling is placed in a hole, the roots are carefully leveled, then the space is filled with substrate so that the root collar is at ground level. Afterwards, the soil is trampled down and watered, and the root circle is mulched with peat and sawdust.

There are varieties of Japanese maples, 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 for large terraces, living rooms, and small areas. For such plantings, choose large ceramic or clay pots, which are filled with light, nutritious soil with sand and a large amount of humus.

Maples can be planted in the garden using seedlings that are sold in specialized stores or grow it yourself from cuttings or rootstock.

Caring for dwarf maples is not that difficult. It is important to strictly follow the landing rules:

• illumination of the area;
• the required soil (nutritional value, water permeability, acidity, etc.);
• remote location.

Maples need regular watering. IN summer period in the absence of rain, they need to be watered once every seven days. One plant requires about twenty liters of water. At normal humidity, maples can be watered once a month.

Also, during dry seasons, trees respond favorably to spraying their crowns with water. It is recommended to perform this procedure in the evening hours.

To maintain the decorative quality 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, and superphosphate.

The ground around the trees must be regularly cleared of weeds and loosened, thereby ensuring access of oxygen to their roots. You also need to periodically mulch the soil around the tree trunk. For this you can use peat or humus.

The crown of maples has its own natural original form, therefore, its pruning consists of removing dry and damaged branches, which is not particularly difficult even for novice 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 the trunks should be wrapped in burlap. As maples mature, they develop stability and over time will not need shelter.

The decorative properties of dwarf maples can be significantly spoiled by various diseases and garden pests.

Most often, maples are affected by:

• powdery mildew;
• coral spotting;
• black spot.

Shoots affected by the disease are removed, and the trees need to be treated copper sulfate, sulfur solution or other fungicidal drugs.

If not properly cared for, trees can be attacked by pests such as whiteflies, mealybug, leaf weevil. If they are detected, maples must be treated with insecticidal preparations.

Maple propagation

Decorative dwarf maples can be propagated at home by seeds and cuttings.

Seeds are collected independently in mid-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 thirty to forty centimeters in size, they can be planted in open ground to a permanent place.

It is quite difficult to propagate Japanese maples using cuttings on your own. Because they need to be grafted onto maples with a more stable root system. A gardener who does not have experience and specific knowledge in this area must perform this process It will be extremely difficult to do it on your own.

Therefore, most often, gardeners prefer to purchase ready-made seedlings for planting in the garden.

Momiji (紅葉)

Japanese maple (Ácer japónicum) is a species of perennial woody deciduous plant of the genus Acer, native to Japan in Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, and also in southern Korea.

Japanese maples Momiji (紅葉) - exceptionally spectacular, ornamental trees and shrubs. Even in winter, these deciduous plants captivate the eye. unusual shape a bare crown resembling a mushroom or an umbrella, and many thin weeping branches. However, the beauty of Japanese maples peaks in autumn, when their foliage turns vibrant, almost stunning colors.

Names in other languages: English. Downy Japanese Maple, Fullmoon Maple, Fin. Hokkaidonvaahtera, fr. érable du Japon, Japanese. ハウチワカエデ・羽団扇楓 (hauchiwa kaede).

The maple genus (Acer) consists of approximately 110 species of deciduous (less commonly evergreen) trees and shrubs that grow naturally in the moist forests of Europe, northern and central America and Asia.

We are talking only about a certain category of maples, which are usually called Japanese (they come from Japan and Korea). This group includes only two species: Japanese maple (A. japonicum) and mountain maple (A. palmatum) with its popular “fan” variety Dissectum, which has dissected, feathery leaves, reminiscent of a lace fan.

The maple was first described in 1784 by Murray based on the unpublished work of Thunberg. Since then, many synonyms have appeared in the literature, the most common being Acer circumlobatum Maxim (1867). His identity Acer japonicum was shown by Koizumi in 1911.

Its victorious march in the European garden culture Japanese maples began as early as the 1600s, and by 1882, 202 varieties were known in Britain. Currently garden centers offer several hundred varieties of Japanese maples, which differ primarily in the color of their leaves, which are especially impressive in the fall, when the maples change color dramatically.

The size of Japanese maples depends on the variety: Japanese and palmate maples can reach 8 m in height, while varieties with dissected foliage usually do not exceed 2 m (in rare cases, 4 m at about 25 years of age). The latter often grow more in width than in height.

The leaves of Japanese maples are small and exclusively decorative. The color of the leaves comes in all shades of green, burgundy, red, yellow-orange and even pink and appears best in open, well-lit spaces.

Maple flowers are small, yellow-green or reddish, depending on the plant variety. After flowering ends, small paired winged fruits are formed on the plants. Some maples are also decorative with their bark.

An ancient Japanese legend about a wise emperor and maple leaves

Once upon a time, Japan was ruled by an emperor named Takakura no In. He loved nature, plants, and had a special weakness for maples. Their beauty fascinated, bewitched and pacified him. Takakura no In ordered his gardeners to plant the mountain on top of which his palace stood with every kind of maple tree they could find.

Many years passed, the maples grew and the emperor's dream came true. The entire mountain was intricately covered with colorful maples that grew in the shape of mushrooms, flowerpots or waterfalls, and their elaborate leaves resembled hands, lace fans and even the strings of an old harp.

Every year the emperor patiently waited for the onset of autumn, when the foliage on his maples acquired a special bright colors. Putting aside all his important government affairs, Takakura no In came to the mountain palace to admire the carpet of colorful maple leaves on the ground.

One cold autumn day, a new, very diligent gardener was working on the mountain, who knew nothing about the emperor's passion. Trying to make a good impression on the owner, the gardener and his family members raked literally all the fallen leaves from the ground. maple leaves and made a huge fire out of them, around which they settled down for the night. And in the morning, the courtiers, seeing the bare maples, blackening earth and ashes on the mountain, began to seriously fear for the life of the new gardener.

At this time, Takakura no In alone climbed to the top of the mountain to enjoy the long-awaited beauty. Instead of a multi-colored tapestry of leaves, his eyes met a sad sight of black earth and cooled ashes, around which the gardener's family slept peacefully. The Emperor understood everything. Contrary to the samurai's fears, a soft, kind smile suddenly lit up his face.

Takakura no In returned to the palace and wrote a poem about the special gift that maple leaves have: they can not only pacify our souls with their exquisite beauty, but also warm our mortal bodies with their warmth.

In their natural environment, Japanese maples grow as undergrowth, so they are familiar high content humus in the soil, partial shade, and a more or less constant level of humidity. Japanese maples will grow in any garden if they are created there suitable conditions for these plants.

Majority garden soils are quite suitable for Japanese maples, the only exceptions being highly alkaline ones, as well as places with poor water permeability and standing water or completely drying out in the heat.

Another danger facing Japanese maples is late spring frosts, which can damage tender young leaves. Although, as already mentioned, the color of Japanese maples appears better in open spaces with plenty of light, when choosing a place for planting, you should be wary of direct hot sun during the midday hours. Varieties with bicolored or edged leaves are especially vulnerable to the scorching sun; they must be planted in semi-shaded areas or places with sparse light.

Japanese maples are not affected by diseases and pests if grown in the right conditions. Weakened plants can be attacked by aphids, weevils and scale insects, as well as fungal infections.

Japanese maples combine well with each other. You can create a whole garden of Japanese maples by collecting plants of suitable sizes, shapes and colors together. You can go further and create a whole Japanese kindergarten, planting traditional Japanese shrubs and trees in a special area: azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, kerias, magnolias, pieris, hydrangeas, witch hazels, stewartias, skimmias, mahonias and maples.

Japanese maples are traditionally planted next to perennials: hostas, ornamental grasses (whose thin, straight stems create a wonderful contrast with the horizontal style of maples), low ferns and flat, wide clumps of spring and autumn bulbs.

Japanese maples look great in rock gardens, near water, in light forest belts, in shrub borders and mixed gardens. Japanese maples are used to form topiari and bonsai.

There are several subspecies that differ slightly in the shape and degree of pubescence of the lionfish and leaves; There are many cultivars used in ornamental gardening.

In culture, it is easily propagated by seeds or grafting onto palm maple.

Japanese maples in tubs and at home

Japanese maple - perennial ornamental plant(small tree or shrub) growing in southern countries in open ground. IN autumn time maple leaves acquire pink, purple, burgundy shades and combinations thereof. Decorative varieties rarely grow more than three meters in height.

Japanese maple. Planting and care

Japanese maple prefers acidic soil. For normal tree growth, it needs to be fertilized once a year (late spring - early summer). Japanese maple loves watering. In summer it needs to be watered once a week, in winter - once every 4 weeks. If there is a lack of water, the tree grows very slowly.

Japanese maple - propagation

Do you want to grow maple on your property? First, decide which variety you want to grow. How you plant it depends on this. A number of varieties are grown from seeds, others from cuttings and graftings.

Before landing, seeds Japanese maple are kept in damp sand in the refrigerator for 4 months.In mid-spring, the germinated seeds are planted in soil with sand and pre-fertilized with humus. Next, water thoroughly. The distance between holes is at least one and a half meters.

Cuttings Japanese maple planting occurs as follows: a cutting with two or three leaves is cut off in the summer and rooted in the ground. Living in areas with a predominantly continental climate, you will have to keep Japanese maple (and especially fan maple) in tubs.

Fan maples grow small and therefore grow well in pots, which are exhibited on outdoors V warm time year. During the cold season, trees growing in tubs should be kept in a cool, dry room, and during the dry season the tub should be moved to a semi-shaded area. Even though the Japanese maple loves the sun, it must be protected from direct sunlight to avoid scorching the leaves.

When keeping Japanese maple indoors, you should control the humidity and air temperature - avoid dry air and heat. Equally important is the level of soil moisture. For normal growth of a tree in a tub, it needs to be watered daily in the morning.

Caring for maple in a tub

Japanese maple, like other plants of Japanese origin, needs wintering in cool and high humidity. Balconies or loggias are suitable for this; in case of frost, cover the tree with some kind of cloth. Remember, maple can withstand negative temperatures, but dry air is contraindicated for him.

The crown of the Japanese maple is formed by pruning the branches. This process should be done in the fall. When growing Japanese maples in pots, you need to feed the plants once a year. mineral fertilizers, otherwise the plant may die.Japanese maple tolerates replanting easily. Maple has a small root system. Replanting (replacing with a larger pot) should be done every 3-4 years.

Japanese maple. Varieties and varieties

Japanese maple has a number of varieties that differ greatly beautiful leaves: - actually the Japanese maple itself. It has picturesque carved leaves of bright colors (from green to dark cherry);

Fan maple has a lot of varieties - “Bloodgood” with very dark leaves, “Beni Kava” with light leaves, “Katsura”, “Osakazuki”, “Nicholsonii” - all these varieties have excellent decorative qualities.

Japanese maple. Diseases

The scourge of Japanese maple is fungal infections, among which are the following:

• verticillium wilt – on young maple plants (whose wood has not yet matured), the leaves begin to curl, then the branches dry out;
• black bark mold - the disease occurs when insufficient watering. In this case, the plant dies.
• In some cases, the Japanese maple can get sickpowdery mildew.

If such diseases are detected in the spring, you should urgently remove all affected branches (to healthy areas), and disinfect the tool after each cut.In a later period, when signs of the disease are detected, the plants are treated with sulfur-containing preparations.

For normal ventilation of the tree, you need to regularly trim it and thin out the crown. Do not overuse nitrogen-containing fertilizers - nitrogen weakens trees and promotes the proliferation of aphids. Japanese maples are very picturesque, and therefore all the effort spent on growing and maintaining trees is completely justified.

The Japanese maple differs from the common Norway maple variety in European latitudes in its unique foliage color. Shrubs or trees grow no higher than 10 m and are suitable for decoration garden plot. If planting conditions are met, the seedling will quickly take root and eventually produce seeds suitable for further propagation.

Planting behind a seedling

The tree attracts attention with its orange or red crown and grayish trunk bark. There are several varieties of the plant; seedlings are selected taking into account the size of your own plot.

Source: Depositphotos

Japanese maple has a distinctive foliage color

Buy young maple trees in a container. This way, the roots of the tree will not be damaged 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 without 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.

Simple planting rules are as follows:

• Prepare a 30 cm hole 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.
• Cover the top with soil containing peat.
• Water young tree, spray the leaves with water.

Maple is undemanding to soil composition; the main condition is the presence of humus. An alkaline environment is absolutely not suitable for plants. Further watering is organized frequently, in small volumes.

Growing from seeds

Organize seed collection in the fall, when they begin to fall. Over the next 4 months, keep them in a cool place where the temperature does not exceed +5 °C, in a container with moistened sand.

Basic cultivation steps:

• At the end of April or beginning of May, place the seeds in hydrogen peroxide for 3 days to disinfect.
• Before planting, mix the soil with sand, peat and humus.
• The depth of maple seeds is over 3 cm. For planting, use containers 20 cm high and 15 cm in diameter.
• Over the next period of time, keep the soil moist.

The greenhouse effect will help speed up germination. You will be able to see the first shoots after 2 weeks. After the first leaves appear, transplant the plant into open ground. Maple grows slowly; caring for the plant includes 3 steps:

• timely watering;
• loosening the soil;
• weed removal.

If the planting and care conditions are met, by autumn the maple sprouts will reach a height of 20–35 cm. After 1–3 years, transplant the seedlings to a permanent place.

With careful care, this beautiful plant attracts with its bright foliage and unusual trunk. Periodic pruning of branches helps to form the crown of the desired shape.

Japanese.

Japanese maples

We are accustomed to seeing in parks and forests a typical example of vegetation of European latitudes. The description of a tree such as Japanese maple is somewhat different from the usual one. Here the name speaks for itself; the plant really comes from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Did you know? Japanese maple is still found in the territory Russian Federation- in the Sakhalin region, but extremely rarely. It is for this reason that the plant is listed in the Red Book of Russia.

The blooming guest from Japan looks very beautiful. The inflorescences are bright, violet-red in color. They appear in April.

Thanks to its “design,” the plant looks impressive even in winter.

Popular types and varieties

Under the term "Japanese maple" Usually there are three types of wood in mind: fan, Shirasawa and directly Japanese. Their differences are not so significant, but they are extremely important for choosing the “right” plant in gardening.

The legendary fan or palm maple got its name due to the special structure of its leaves, which can become the “highlight” of any park. It is shaped like an open palm or a lace fan and turns bright scarlet in June. The height of the palm-shaped tree does not exceed two meters.
TO this species include many plant varieties, but the following were the most popular:

Not the most common, but attracting admiring glances Shirasawa maple has a huge color scheme: bright yellow to burgundy red. Unlike other species, it can grow quite large sizes: up to 15 m high and a trunk up to 60 cm in diameter.
The Japanese maple and its variety “Dissectum Nigrum” are very popular, the black and red foliage of which harmonizes wonderfully with the green lawns of many landscapes.

Wise selection of seedlings

Since the plant is quite expensive, you need to be careful when choosing seedlings. Decide on the variety of Japanese maple: if you have a large area for cultivation, then you can safely choose large trees (for example, Shirasawa maple); in case of a limited area, it is better to buy shrubs.

Seedling recommended to buy in a container, since in this case the landing and further care for Japanese maple will be easier and safer. In addition, the probability that the tree will take root is higher, since it will be in its “native” soil and its root system will not be damaged during planting.

Important! The plant seedling must be “young”; a tree up to one year old is ideal for planting.

You should buy maple in a special store. It should have a fresh, healthy appearance, without withered leaves or any damage.

Where to plant

Many people are afraid to purchase a representative of the Japanese flora, considering this plant capricious and unsuitable for our latitudes. This is not true; growing Japanese red maple at home is possible, but there are still some nuances when choosing a planting site.
First, you should choose a location where the soil will be sufficiently moist. On the other hand, make sure that there is not a large amount of stagnant moisture, the plant does not like this.

Secondly, your handsome man will feel best in in a cozy and sheltered place from the wind. It is not particularly afraid of drafts, but it will still grow much faster in a quiet corner.

Towards lighting special requirements No. Of course, it's absolutely better dark place do not plant. Remember that the natural processes of photosynthesis require light. In addition to this, the varied colors of the maple will look brighter.

And lastly, do not forget about the “neighbors” of this beautiful plant. It is not recommended to plant other large ones nearby. This will “steal” light from the maple, and the area will be overloaded, the maple will get lost between large branches. In addition, the crown must have enough space for growth and development. The most profitable option would be flowers next to the Japanese maple. They look good, and...

Landing rules

Planting a Japanese maple is an easy process, so there should not be any particular difficulties. The main thing is to provide the tree good conditions, as close as possible to his native latitudes.

Soil preparation

As noted earlier, maple loves moisture, but not “standing water”. That's why experienced gardeners It is advised to take care of its root system (small, screenings). the seedling stands often, but not too abundantly.

Almost any is suitable; for trees, a high content is natural. The only exception is if it is too alkaline. There must be soil. When planting, it is recommended to feed it.

Scheme and technology

The technology for growing a tree is simple. It includes two stages, in the case of growing Japanese maple from seeds.
Seeds are germinated as usual. They are soaked for 2–3 hours. After this, choose a seed with a diameter of 10–15 cm and a height of 10–20 cm. Small holes are made in the soil, the seeds are laid out separately from each other to a depth of 4–5 cm and sprinkled with a layer of soil. Then lightly moisten and place in a warm place where there is no direct rays. For a greenhouse effect, it is better to cover the container and allow the seedlings to “breathe” once a day.

When the maple tree sprouts and leaves begin to appear on it, it can be planted in a permanent place.

The scheme is as follows:

1. A hole is made up to 30 cm deep.
2. Sand and drainage (4–5 cm thick) are placed at the bottom of the recess.
3. The soil is moistened.
4. The tree is carefully removed from the container and placed in the hole.
5. Sprinkle with earth mixed with.
6. Water the seedling and spray the leaves with a small amount of water.

After some time, it will be possible to propagate the maple with fresh seeds. Vegetative propagation is almost never practiced because it is ineffective.

Features of caring for Japanese maple

Caring for a Japanese cat is important. It includes regular watering, fertilizing and, if desired, creating the shape of the crown - branches in the first years of the plant's life.

Soil care and watering

Frequency and need depends on climatic conditions territory, moisture content of the soil itself. On average, leave the soil in a day or two, making sure there is enough water. Usually, in hot weather, maple requires not only more abundant water, but also its foliage. During the rainy season, additional moisture should not be given. If you don't pay attention to the tree, the leaves may begin to dry out or even fall off.

And they are still producing. It involves sprinkling the soil around the tree with bark. This protects against drying out of the root system in summer and freezing in winter.