History and characteristics of Japanese maples

Japanese maples don’t require from you to become a history buff. But still a little background can give you the idea about the heritage it carries. As the name tells, these trees are strongly linked to the land of the rising sun more precisely Japan. It is stated that villagers of Japan used to walk to the mountains to have a look of the mesmerizing colors of local maple trees. As the time passed these magnificent floras became the household item for ornament. It was there amazing interest in the new found treasure that today we have over thousand variations of this amazing tree. All of them different from each other on the basis of size, shape, color and age.

This staggering diversity is not enjoyed by many plants all across the globe, for this reason these maples are appreciated by very diverse cultures of the world. They can grow in nearly all the climates except for the extreme cold and warm areas. If planted in the favored climate they can astonish the viewer by their manifestation of colors. The plant has something to offer to each climate and will give a relevant look to each part of the world.

Distinctiveness to consider

Don’t forget when you are out for purchasing your first Japanese maple that these trees change their colors all over the year. So it does matter a lot at what time of year you are about to purchase them as it will influence the decision making process. Apart from summer when the leaves take the green color, most of the time in their life they shift between red, yellow and orange. The blooming period is of autumn, when they show their true manifestations. And spark the gardens as if someone has blazed the whole environment with firing colors. Before falling completely they reach their zenith and at that time it is really looks like a masterpiece of some extra imaginative artist. There are certain categories of Japanese maples that can sustain well in much cold climate as well.

Varieties like Coral Bark are famous for their many variations in the colors. They get the astonishing colors in the winter season, which makes the chilling winter a pleasurable experience. Laceleaf is the most sensitive category when it comes for encountering warm, dehydrated places. But their mushroom shape looks makes them a very interesting companion. The Weeping maples are known for their amazing and soothing spread out form. But they are very good at their growth rate, and if you are planting them from the very scratch they you can see them growing over a very long period of time. This sometimes can be very frustrating for someone who wants quick results but over the time you will find meaning in the slow growth as well.

Any tree admirer should go for the single trunk maples, as they are erect and can completely transform the looks of your garden. Whereas single trunk is not the only option that Japanese maples offer, there are multiple trunk maples easily available in the market. They have a bush like look which allows for any flexible adaptability with most of the places inside a home and office. The delicacies for which these trees are famous across the globe sometimes produce problems for the grower and the plant itself. The extreme variation in the weather leaves badly influence the colors of this astounding plant. The more one can show care in this matter, the more it will prove to be beneficial for the plant. There are several methods which can be adopted to avoid such situations.

Five most colourful Japanese maple trees

Butterfly Japanese maple

It is an excellent choice for a small modest garden. These upright small trees are good for nearly all the seasons. The leaves take different colours with the change in season. The autumn blazes with the red colours and the rest of the year colour changes from gray green to bright pink. It doesn’t demand any special treatment except for the usual moisturiser in the soil and protection from extreme sunlight. Generally it is known to be a small tree and can rise up to 10 feet in height. The leaves have variation in the shapes and most of them are take a curved shape. It has gained amazing popularity due to its vibrant colours that it manifests from time to time depending upon the season.

Filigree Japanese maples

The expert gardeners differentiate between green filigree and its sister breed red filigree. But for a general lover of plants both are same except for their colours. The tree bears dissected leaves which are larger in size in relation to other dissected types of Japanese maples. Moreover what really gives it a delicate look than other is the presence of small white dots, which are not visible from a distance but a closer look to leaves gives a soothing experience to the eyes. It is renowned for its slow growth and few inches of growth can take years but this patience pays off in the end as the charming tree adds beauty to every ambiance. As it is the characteristic of maple trees that they carry a different colour in the autumn so this tree is not an exception. The orange colours give it a mesmerising look through out the fall. The plant carries not a good reputation for facing sunlight so it should be given proper protection from sun.

Higasayama Japanese maples

An amazing piece for structure as it can take the height of 15 feet, and the surprising part is that it can take the width of 15 feet as well. The horizontal growth gives it a touch which most of the maple trees lack and the whole structure looks so elegant that influences the mood of viewer. The new leaves always take the red colours and over the period up till maturity they take a green colour blended with pink colour. In fall it takes the same colour of that it had in its infancy and turns into red. It can also be used as an ornamental tree inside the home and for this purpose a tray or pot can easily be used. The immense fame that it has gained is justified as it changes the whole ambiance with its amazing colours.

Okushimo

The name at first seems a little difficult to pronounce as it comes from Japanese language which translates as salt and paper. This tree belongs to the rare collection of unusual group of Japanese maples. The green colour gets best when it meets this plant. The leaf is an astounding peace of art as it is seven lobed. The experience told the experts that it has a very slow growth and for this reason it is not widely planted all over the world. Although the tree carries a historical background of almost 300 years but the slow growth has become a major hurdle in its popularity. A clear understanding of its growth can be appreciated by knowing the fact that it gains half feet in a decade.

Omurayama

The cascading effect that this tree produces is truly magnificent. The weeping leaves cover the complete perimeter of the plant. The tree lies in the category of small trees and the leaves are deeply dissected. The green colour dominates the life of this tree and in only spring do we see a change in the colour when it turns into orange. Moreover in the autumn the leaves can take the colour of red and gold which not only sounds astonishing but completely changes the ambiance of the garden. The viewers always admire this tree for its magnificent colour schemes.

Fertilizing the Japanese maple trees

The Japanese maples do not require additional fertilization if the soil is already known to be fertile. Fertilization of soil is a vital element in the overall growth of the maple tree and the experts describe the need of fertile soil as essential. The vibrancy in the color of leaves depend on two important factors; the appropriate sunlight and the fertility of the soil. So to fully appreciate the colors and bloom of these trees it is essential to take in account the proper analysis of the fertility of soil

If the soil is known to be less fertile then appropriate fertilization for the Japanese maple tree becomes indispensable. The newly planted maple trees require fertilizers for the ideal growth and establishment of the root system. It is generally a well known fact that the best fertilizer to be used at this stage is the one that contains fine amount of phosphorous. The first four month require suitable quantity of this fertilizer so that the plant can have strong roots which will bring the strong grip of soil, this is essentially required for the sustenance of the young maple tree.

Often it is assumed that if a land is known to have fertility then it will maintain this quality over an indefinite period of time. This is not accurate scientifically. Fertility is not a constant state and a land can lose some of it and even can gain it through natural means. The expert gardeners recommend checking the level of fertilization in the ground on yearly basis. If you notice that the trees are losing their vibrant colors that earlier they used to have then it is a good reason for the inspection of soil.

The tall trees can grow exceptionally if they are provided with the recommended amount of fertilizers after couple of years. The small trees and shrubs on the other hand require this attention yearly. If you are unsure about the exact nature of the soil, then tests are conducted to check the exact level of the required elements. It is a good practice to go for such tests as they will bring a clear picture of the problem.

Sometimes the soil is lacking only a specific nutrient and other elements are present in it abundantly, so in this case adding a general fertilizer will not be a feasible solution. It will remove the deficiency of that specific nutrient but eventually it is going to overdose the soil with other nutrients. This is the sole reason behind testing the soil, as it will bring about the exact nutrient that needs to be added in the soil. The general and specific fertilizers are available in the market easily but before buying you should be clear about your choice.
It should be clear enough that fertilizers are only used as a supplementary item and the plant should not rely solely on them.

The amount of fertilization varies for the new trees and the adult trees. These recommended amounts can be confirmed from an expert gardener as they can tell any necessary precaution for a particular Japanese maple tree. One thing should be kept in mind that adding fertilization in the spring is not a good idea as it will enforce the quick growth of the leaves which in the long term will weaken the plant. In the spring season the plant should be allowed to grow on its natural resources and no artificial element is required at this stage. Fertilizers should be added in the seasons which are not known for any growth.

Diseases the Japanese maple tree can face

Any plant passionate should keep in mind that plants are like any other living organism. They can get disease if proper care is not shown towards them. Japanese maple trees can catch some known diseases, but this mostly happens due to some negligence, there is no evidence that suggest that these plants have some track record of genetic ailments. The plant responds back to the any problem either through losing its vibrancy or through other indications. These indicators should not be taken lightly as they are the signs for much bigger trouble ahead.

The most common indication that the plant has caught some ailment is that it starts to wilt and there can be several different reasons behind this symptom ranging from tainted seed, heat stroke, or extra moisturizer in the environment. Most of the time wilting indicates that the water ducts that carry the water to all parts of it have got damaged and as a result the water does not reach to the leaves which then start to lose their vigor. You should not act in a knee jerk fashion to this problem, as sometimes a wrong cure can worsen the whole situation.
Try to analyze where things have gone wrong, what type of negligence you have shown in the past few days.

Knowing where you went wrong solves half of the problem, now after realizing the problem now apply the specific remedy action to fully solve the problem. All the required actions should be taken quickly as unnecessary prolong process can make the situation less likely to cure. After applying the appropriate remedy, try to remove the infected leaves as they can initiate the problem in the future. This can be done in the weekly pruning of the plant to save some time.

Make a habit to provide moisturizers to the plant as clearly many problems arise due to lack of it. You can achieve the required level of moisturizing if you have decided to water the plant on a regular basis.

Pests

There are some known pests that usually feed themselves with the liquid of the plant tissue. As the often camouflage, so it is hard for a naked eye to catch their site. A closer inspection of leaves can reveal their presence on the leaves. This is the reason that the experts suggest closer inspection of the leaves once in a month to avoid such free riders. Once a leaf is infected by these bugs then it usually takes few weeks to show any indication that some alien element is sharing its resources.

Early identification of these bugs can save the leave from total destruction. If the plant is left unnoticed then it is a well known fact that these bugs multiply rapidly and over a very small period of time they will spread across all the leaves of the tree. At that stage they take full control over the resources of the tree and sooner they become a bigger problem for the life of the tree. There are some pesticides available in the market, but they can be useful in the earlier stage of the problem, as statistics reveal that over the period of time it becomes less probable for the tree to sustain. But still if you notice some of them on the leaves then try to analyze complete tree for their presence. If they are present on couple of leaves only then try to remove these leaves immediately.

If you notice that the situation is becoming out of control, then you can ask for professional help that is always available in the nearby nursery. They either will suggest some pesticide or any other appropriate method to solve this problem. As the old golden proverb says, prevention is better than cure, so this is true for this case as well and if you can manage to inspect the leave every once in a while then such encounter with pests can easily be avoided.