skip to main content

Azaleas crowding Japanese Maple

9 years ago

I have a laceleaf Japanese Maple that the previous homeowner underplanted with Azaleas. Since we moved in 7 years ago, it has grown to be approximately 6-8 wide and around 5 feet tall. It looks great and is doing well.

Underplanted are Azaleas which I love but are now 1/2 under the maple canopy and getting in the way of the maple (they are around 4' tall).

What should I do about this?
- Move the Azaleas - If so, will this damage the Maple?
- Just cut back the Azaleas and let them die (thus not disturbing the Maple roots
- Prune the maple every year to prevent the crowding - Somehow this doesn't seem the best option

Thanks!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

spaceman13
9 years ago
I would cut the Azaleas back to about a foot to a foot and a half. They should back-bud and grow, but I don't think they'll flower next year if you prune in the fall. I think most Azaleas bloom on last years wood. You could wait to prune them until after they bloom in the spring, that way you wont miss a bloom.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
Just get rid of the azaleas.....given the choice :-)) Even being cut back routinely, they will regrow and want to take over again. If you are careful, you should be able to remove the root system once they are cut back but that is not a requirement.

Typically, laceleaf JM's are not underplanted with anything other than groundcovers as their weeping habit typically produces branches to the soil level. If a high graft tree or if trained to be more upward in growth habit, you could try underplanting with something like epimediums, which will never grow too high nor need division.
Related Discussions
Azalea hedge crowding porch.
Q
Comments (18)
get rid of what has been called cereal boxes ... and then see how the rest blooms out in spring .... and then get rid of some other things ... things that were planted as babes.. when the house was built.. with no clue by the planter about how things grow ... and then tortured by hedge pruners.. simply need to go .... you are trying to deal with big freakin problems left by peeps who had no gardening sense ... probably a builder who bought what was cheap ...and what ended up as a nightmare ... get rid of it all ... and plant your own nightmare... and then.. move in a decade or so.. and leave it to the next person to deal with ... lol ken ps: and if you were the original owner.. lol.;.. and made all the mistakes.. well ... time for a change.. just like you got rid of the shag carpeting.. and the paisley Formica in the kitchen ... do not get wound up in keeping .. PROBLEMS .... just like decorating the rest of the house ... time for something new ...
...See More
Can a Japanese Maple survive in the sun?
Q
Comments (4)
My summers are definitely zone 7. I have a Boskoop Glory that gets full sun after 12 and does well. It turns a pretty orange-red in fall. I've bought a lot of JMs from World Plants as 1-yr and 2- yr. olds that have arrived very healthy and are thriving (if you don't want to spend much and have a lot of time for them to grow up). I also have 2-yr.-old Osakazuki & Hogyoku that are pretty much in full sun and are doing fine. But I do water in dry spells. I have a Bloodgood also near the Boskoop Glory, but its leaves can get pretty shabby by summer's end. World Plants says "Emperor" is like Bloodgood but leafs out later (saving it from frosts) and can take more sun.
...See More
Help! My husband butchered our Japanese Maple!
Q
Comments (3)
Squirrels bit off many branches on a few of my beautiful japanese maples. The squirrels do this in Winter sometimes. Why they do it is beyond me... to sharpen their teeth? to make me mad? Anyways, it turns out the "pruning" the squirrels did actually turned out okay. Sure some growth was lost, but the trees turned out to look pretty good. If I had my druthers, I wish the squirrels hadn't done it, but they did. I wouldn't give up on your maple yet, although the extent of the "butchery" is not known to me and maybe it really is awful. But new branches and leaves will grow. I'd wait and see and attempt no further hacking at this time.
...See More
Japanese maple in trouble
Q
Comments (5)
Here is a picture of my Japanese princess taken today: And here is how I planted it. The soil here is alkaline clay loam, so it took some work. After removing the grass, I added dirt from another area to raise the level slightly above the surrounding area. I did not add anything to make the soil more porous at that point, but I did mix in some sulfur to acidify the soil and then squashed it flat . Then I created a wide mound on top of that using a mix of good store-bought topsoil, clay turf dressing AKA Turface, fine sifted pine bark pieces, some black compost, and a tiny bit of sulfur. After planting the tree in this porous mix, I formed a saucer shaped circle around the plant to keep the water from running off and mulched it with bigger bark pieces.
...See More
mikebotann
9 years ago
I would move the azaleas to another place in the garden so you have room to prune the maple. They're in the way now and competing with the maple for water, nutrients, and space.
Mike
kneecop
Original Author
9 years ago
Ok - I think the plan then is to move them if possible. I'm assuming fall is a good time, but would it be too early to do it this weekend? Or wait till maple drops leaves?
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
Wait until the leaves drop and the tree begins to enter dormancy. You are far less likely to disturb the root system to any significant degree if you wait until that time. And disturbing a JM root system is something to be avoided if at all possible.......a good way to introduce some nasty soil pathogens.

Related Stories

TREES 11 Japanese Maples for Breathtaking Color and Form

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

With such a wide range to choose from, there’s a beautiful Japanese maple to suit almost any setting

LIFE You Said It: ‘Yikes, Tough Crowd’ and Other Quotes of the Week

By Becky Harris

Some of our favorite quotes this week came straight from the Comments section. See the stories and have your own say

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Cyrtomium Falcatum ‘Rochfordianum’

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Adding Japanese holly fern to your woodland garden is a great way to celebrate the holidays and create lasting memories

FALL GARDENING A Garden With a Love Story

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Over 23 years, a North Carolina couple has created an inviting, magical garden that harmonizes with its woodland setting

GARDENING GUIDES Top 10 Native Plants for the Pacific Northwest

More than just gorgeous and adaptable, these standout plants convey a sense of place

SPRING GARDENING Spring Fling: Visit a Garden in Full Glory

By Becky Harris

The Atlanta Botanical Garden is blooming three weeks ahead of schedule. Come take a peek with us

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 10 Ways to Create a Romantic Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Delve into a sensual garden design that sings of love and speaks to the senses

EVENTS Tour 5 Gorgeous California Gardens

By Annie Thornton

Get a sneak preview of Palo Alto gardens in the 2015 Gamble Garden Spring Tour, happening Friday and Saturday

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Find Yourself in an Epic Garden in the Shade

Feeling hot and tired gardening in the sun? The world of shade gardening beckons you to its cool mystery

FALL GARDENING 11 Trees for Brilliant Fall Color

By Marianne Lipanovich

Give your landscape the quintessential look of autumn with the red, orange and yellow leaves of these standouts

Sponsored

More Discussions

Usugumo HTF : Hard to Find

2

Acer First Flame

3

Nursery Container Mediums - Sand ?

0

Scion Height When Grafting

0