Transplanting Japanese Maple - Your Advice Appreciated

10 years ago

Hello,

I am considering transplanting two Japanese Maples this Fall after their leaves fall to another area of yard. I planted these about 3-4 years ago and are about 6-7 feet tall now (picture attached).

Do Japanese Maples transplant okay at this stage of their life in your experience?

Can you please share any tips for a successful transplant?

Thank you.

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Comments (9)

ruanddu
Original Author
10 years ago
Picture didn't come through on first post. Hopefully this works?
Mike Larkin
10 years ago
If you need to move, then now is the time.
If the rootball is about 2ft or more, and you do a good job keeping the rootball intact , you should have success. WATER well after planted and mulch better than you are now.
Water well next year and you should have success.

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog
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i also work smart.. rather than hard.. and would probably go for a small cheap replacement ... but these days budget does reign supreme .... but why not try moving them .. and then.. if you fail .. and they die.. THEN get a replacement .. i was not aware that JM do NOT like sun.. they are trees.. and you arent in the deep south.. MA should be full sun ... i do think they TOLERATE shade somewhat ... sounds like you are making excuses.. just move them ASAP ... BTW... sam had a post yesterday.. some guy digging up a tree on youtube.. that ought to motivate you ... see link ... dig new hole first ... so one you have it out of the ground.. it can go right back in .... and aftercare.. is 99% of success ... and dont forget about making sure about underground utilities .... ken Here is a link that might be useful: link
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sorry for the delay in getting back, thanks for the advice! We planted the large one and it looks fantastic, I learned about transplanting and watering properly with the starter fertilzer. We didn't do that correctly last year on the serviceberry we planted in the back, and it's not looking so great, I might add a new post about that. I can't tell if it's just dry or has a bug. The deep watering didn't seem to perk it up very much. The mounding jap. maple is still sitting a few feet in from the larger one, now suddenly in shade, and we're waiting until the new bed is ready for it. I think it will be a slightly raised bed, and I'm assuming it will need more water as a result? We have a slope to the front yard and it's down closer to the sideawalk, so I'm thinking the front will be higher and the back pretty much ground level. We have no idea how big it's going to get since we didn't plant it originally, but based on others we've seen in neighbors' yards, I'm thinking a pretty good sized mound, maybe 5 feet wide. If it gets any larger than that, it will be too big and we'll have to move it again to the back. It'll be the focal point in its new location, full-on southern exposure, so I'm not sure how to shade it for a few days. Any suggestions there? It's a small city lot front yard. Maybe some staking material with a paper or plasic "shield" attached....
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I transplanted my Viridis successfully but it was only about 5 ft tall and maybe a inch diameter.. root ball was fairly small..
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ticopp - the red color you are seeing (or saw - before the wind came :-)) is just the typical fall coloring from the species rootstock. Your 'Fireglow' has not magically recovered or reappeared nor should you expect to see it in the spring. Although it is difficult to determine absolutely just from a few photos, I am fairly certain that the graft has failed and the Fireglow portion of your tree is dead. That's what those dead branches are - the remains of what was Fireglow. What you choose to do now is pretty much a matter of personal choice. If it were mine, I would not offer any particular care over winter as I would replace it in spring. It will not be the red leafed maple you purchased, producing rather nondescript green leaves during the growing season and just showing a hint of personality with some red fall coloring. And it is unlikely to grow into any sort of tree form, simply producing a collection of straggly branches from low to the ground (below the graft line) in more of a loose, shrubby shape. So it's your choice to prune out the 'dead' now or wait until spring for any potential signs of life then. And I wouldn't hold out a lot of hope for that, unfortunately. As to any winter protection that may be necessary - should you decide you want to save this plant for whatever reason - you want to make sure the pot/roots are not exposed to temperatures that drop below 25F. Inside the house is not appropriate but it can be moved to an unheated garage or similar structure. Depending on your winter, it could be perfectly safe on your porch. Without leaves and dormant, wind is not much of a concern (I live on the beach and my containerized maples are in wind all winter long!).
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botann
10 years ago
I routinely move them at that size. Take your time to get a good rootball and have the hole ready where you're going to plant it, then soak it good with water. Japanese Maples are tougher than most people think.
Mike
ruanddu
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks everyone. Sounds like with proper care it will be okay to move them once the leaves fall.

Also, I have an arborvitae hedge I want to plant them close to. Would it be okay to plan within 3 feet or so of arborvitae hedge? If not, what do you recommend?

Thanks.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
10 years ago
You do not want to plant them any closer than half the canopy spread. For example, if you have a JM with a mature canopy spread of 15', you would not want to plant any closer than 7.5'. This is to allow the canopy to grow unobstructed by any other plants or surfaces and prevent congestion that can lead to damage or diseases.
ruanddu
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks everyone. Sounds like with proper care it will be okay to move them once the leaves fall.

Also, I have an arborvitae hedge I want to plant them close to. Would it be okay to plan within 3 feet or so of arborvitae hedge? If not, what do you recommend?

Thanks.
Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis
10 years ago
I would not plant them closer than half the canopy spread from your arbs.

If the Japanese Maple is expected to get 15 feet wide and the arbs 20 then count off 10 feet for the arbs from the trunk and 7.5 for the maple.

Oh, and if you are in a cold zone like 5 or 4 pushing the maple's cold hardiness I would HURRY or wait till next year.

Good lookin tree btw. What cultivar?
ruanddu
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! I can't recall cultivar off top of my head but will look and see if I can find tag.
ruanddu
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! I can't recall cultivar off top of my head but will look and see if I can find tag.

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Transplanting Japanese Maple - Your Advice Appreciated

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ruanddu
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Transplanting Japanese Maple - Your Advice Appreciated

Comments (9)

ruandduOriginal Author

Mike Larkin

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botann

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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Toronado3800 Zone 6 St Louis

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CONNECT WITH US

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