japanese maple in a container
17 years ago
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- 17 years ago
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Growing a Japanese Maple in a Container
Comments (1)It makes a fine container plant. Be sure to use a big enough container, a high-quality container mix for your media, and plan on burying the container in the ground for the winter. In general, you lose 2 zones of hardiness above ground, and you're already at the cold end of it's hardiness range....See Morenew japanese maple in container what to do during winter
Comments (13)If you intend to keep the maple in a container, the most important consideration is to protect the roots from severe cold. The small volume of soil in a container will freeze much more deeply than the ground and roots are generally less cold hardy than the wood. If it's possible to store the plant in a cool basement after leaf fall but before severe cold, this would be best. I think survival would be pretty doubtful in an unheated shed. Crimson Queen is quite hardy but Z4/5 doesn't seem realistic for outdoor planting, especially for a young specimen. Leaf filled protective structures can work, but unless the leaves remain dry they will lose their insulation value and invite fungal infection....See Moregrowing japanese maples in container in zone 5
Comments (5)I'm in Utah, too, and planning on growing one or two Japanese maples in containers. I haven't worked out the soil yet as my blueberries need to be repotted and I've been focusing on a soil mix for them. I think the maples would like a similar mix though. Have you looked around the container forum much to see what others use. There are a lot here with great knowledge and experience. You can read about container soil basics here Container Soils - Al's most recent overview . I think I'm going to go with a combination Al suggested to another Utah gardener; 5:2:1 mix of pine bark fines:Turface:peat. But I may use Gritty Mix for my Japanese Maples and increase the Turface some. I'm not sure if that's what you are looking for. Btw - by taking your maple inside during the winter do you mean into a garage? Any warmer than that and it won't be cold enough for your maple to have its dormancy period. which it needs. The garage is good place. Or you can bury the pot on the north side of your house for the winter or wrap the container well to insulate the roots, but still tuck it in a protected area against a north wall. Hopefully someone will come along that knows more than I do (shouldn't be hard) and will offer any needed corrections. Kay...See MoreJapanese Maples in Containers ~ Wintering & Pruning
Comments (2)If the containerized trees are exposed to the elements and you receive a reasonable amount of rainfall in winter, then no additional watering is required. If the containers are stored somewhere under cover, the soil should remain just barely moist to the touch so that might require a small amount of watering from time to time, depending on the quality and consistency of the potting mix. IMO, pruning during the dormant season should be done in early winter (Nov/Dec.) rather than late winter (Feb/March) to avoid excessive bleeding. Sap in JM's typically starts moving early, often as early as January but for sure by February in milder climates. Summer pruning - June and July - is always an option. The adage is structural pruning in winter; thinning/shaping in summer. I personally prefer a light hand when it comes to pruning these trees - this is not a one time shot so small, selective shaping and branch removal can (and should) be extended over several seasons. You can always take more off later but you can't put it back on!! And I would have to say that if at any time one was thinking of removing as much as 20% of the tree, it is far too small to prune!! Or step back and reconsider your plan. These trees seldom need that much attention....See More- 17 years ago
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