Vincas died under maple tree
three4rd47
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
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6 years agoRelated Discussions
Ok, another DIY under a maple tree
Comments (2)Maples are very sensitive to ANYTHING disturbing or compacting the soil where their shallow roots are growing. They want plenty of air getting to their roots. Bricks would be an absolute no-no! A light, airy mulch like pine straw; or a nice, well behaved ground cover like Vinca minor is the best bet. Vinca is stunning in the spring, when its covered in soft purple flowers. It looks fabulous with clumps of daffodils popping up through it. 'Flower Record' is a favorite of mine, and naturalizes beautifully. White petals with a yellow cup edged in orange ruffles. Imagine that hovering over a sea of tiny purple blooms. Regards, K4...See Moregroundcover under bloodgood japanese maple tree
Comments (15)Your "landscapers" are sorely misinformed. Pretty much anything can grow under a Japanese maple, as their root system does not have the same aggressive, water-guzzling, nutrient-hogging character that other, native maples display. And a hot, dry summer will require regular periodic irrigation of any JM for it to survive and thrive - these are not drought tolerant trees. My only concern when underplanting a taller growing JM is that you select plants that will not need frequent division to maintain them, as excessive cultivation in the root zone or any significant disturbance can damage the delicate root system, sometimes to fatal results. Selecting something to contrast with the dark red foliage is a good idea, like bboy's suggestion of blue leaved hostas. You could add Japanese painted ferns as well to pick up the coloring of both the hostas and the tree foliage. I like the contrast of gold tones myself, so golden leaved hostas, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa 'Aureola' or 'All Gold'), Campanula 'Dickson's Gold', spotted London Pride (Saxifraga x urbium 'Aureopunctata) or Lamium 'Anne Greenaway' or 'Aureum' and autumn fern are all suitable choices. Epimediums are an excellent choice as well, as is any moisture preferring, shade tolerant groundcover or part shade perennial that doesn't require frequent division. FWIW, my JM's are planted in the middle of mixed borders with an assortment of a wide variety of part shade shrubs, perennials/grasses and groundcovers surrounding them. So the notion that "nothing" will grow under them is very misplaced....See MoreGrowing grass under a silver maple
Comments (2)Grass can suffer under a maple for two reasons. The first is the "fight" for water/nutrients and the second is shade. Around here, the shade isn't really a bad thing, since the high altitude means that filtered sunlight can actually be preferable. But in most places, that can be a problem. Maples also have a lot of roots near the surface, so they can be resource hogs. You can't do anything about the sunlight (except maybe judicious pruning) but you can water and fertilize more under the tree to see if that helps....See MoreWhat to grow under a Maple Tree?
Comments (28)I have a 60 year old Autumn Glory Maple on the west point of my house. It affords little light to anything below except for winter months and early spring. During that time, many flowering plants will do quite well. I have snow drops, crocuses, squills and daffodils of many varieties. If you have an old grill. Remove the guts, plug up all but one hole and grow hanging Sedum. Forsythia will work very well and only has to be trimmed once a year. The one in the picture is 40 years old and is in dense shade from April to October. Bleeding Heart and Epimedium. Elephant Ear but I have to dig up the bulbs for the winter. I have three potted Clivia plants that give orange blooms in July or so. They too come in for the winter. Variegated Hosta is a cheap standby that can't be killed. Don't worry about dividing. It doesn't need it unless you want an easy plant to propagate....See Morethree4rd47
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6 years agolast modified: 6 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
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