Whether you lack a spacious one thousand or just require to work a Nipponese maple closer to your home , you might want to sample growing one in a flowerpot . How unmanageable would that be ? Is it even potential ?
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Japanese maples are one of the most vulgar species of tree grow as bonsai . So , you ’re in for a resounding yes – it ’s potential , you’re able to grow Japanese maples in pots !
Creeping Jenny.
While thedwarf or semi - dwarf cultivarsare the wanton , you could grow any form in a container because they all have a compact root word system that allow confinement .
Add to that the fact that these trees come in such a massive range of leaf and barque colors and leaf shapes , and you’re able to see why they make appealing options for container grow .
There are lots of reasons to turn a Nipponese maple in a container . you’re able to add some acme to a garden or grow a tree on an urban flat balcony , for starters .
Regardless of your motivating , the process is the same for planting and caring for these marvellous trees .
To assist you make it happen , here ’s what we ’ll discuss in the coming usher :
What You’ll Learn
If you need to grow a tree in a container , you ca n’t find a better option than Nipponese maple . Here ’s everything you need to know , beginning with recommended cultivars to opt from .
Best Cultivars
Like we said earlier , any Nipponese maple can be grow in a muckle . Here is just a sampling of a few cultivars that make in particular just potted option .
Abigail Rose
If you ’re looking for a cultivar that can invigorate up a partly shaded spot , search out this uncommonA. palmatumdwarf . The foliage have an interesting crinkled texture , but that ’s only the beginning .
‘ Abigail Rose ’
The foliage of this ‘ Higase Yama ’ mutant is bright pink at the gross profit with lime unripened center . It stays under five foot tall for a stocky but bold statement .
you may find ‘ Abigail Rose’available from Maple Ridge Nurseryin one- and three - gallon container .
Geisha Gone Wild
A. palmatum‘Geisha Gone Wild ’ is a sport of ‘ Geisha ’ that outshine its parent plant .
The leaves have bright red and pinkish margins with pinkie - green interiors . In full sunlight , the colors are more greenish with emollient margins . It tops out at about five foot .
‘ Geisha Gone Wild ’
Pick up ‘ Geisha Gone Wild ’ in one- and three - gallon potsfrom Maple Ridge Nursery .
Jubilee
The profoundly lobed folio are pink with remain firm - out red vein .
‘ Jubilee ’
As the season progresses , the leafage turn green , pink , and cream with bright pink veins , all on an eight - foot - improbable tree diagram .
Trees in one- and three - Imperial gallon containers areavailable at Maple Ridge Nursery .
King George’s Broom
fondly have-to doe with to as the “ Russian spy,”A. palmatum‘KGB ’ is a dwarf that continue about three human foot grandiloquent with red and pink leaves that exchange to bolshie and purplish in the gloam .
It has a broom - same condition that count particularly squeamish in a container .
Orangeola
A. palmatum‘Orangeola ’ is a stunner in its own right hand , but it ’s also compendious at about three feet tall and wide at maturity .
With sheer , bright orange foliation in the fall , it already fend out . But add to that the green spring foliage and the over-embellished summer leave and you have a incessantly evolving show .
‘ Orangeola ’
scarper to Maple Ridge Nurseryto cop one of your own .
Oregon Sunset
I have to admit I ’m partial to this one because it ’s named after the brainy evening skies in my home plate Department of State , but even if that were n’t the case , it would still be worth a look .
‘ Oregon Sunset ’ has a alone upright but broadcast outgrowth use , sort of like a one-half weeping maple . During the spring , the foliation is a prominent , bright red , transitioning to plum tree in the summer . By fall it melt to an elegant pastel orangeness .
It ’s tardily - develop , as are mostA. palmatumcultivars , but if you give it time , it will eventually reach 10 foot tall .
‘ Oregon Sunset ’
you may discover plantsavailable at Maple Ridge Nursery .
Red Dragon
GorgeousA. palmatumvar.dissectum‘Red Dragon ’ is a classic for good reason . The heavily serrated leaf front like burnished ruddy piece of lace dancing in the breeze .
The foliation is ruby - plum tree in the summer and warm burgundy during the fall . If you have a sunny touch , this cultivar is idealistic . It maxes out at 12 feet marvellous at maturity .
‘ Red Dragon ’
wreak one home byheading to debauched grow Treesfor a lively one- to two- or two- to three - animal foot - tall plant .
Find more tips on care for ‘ Red Dragon ’ here .
Ryusen
I ’ve had my eye out , reckon for one of theseA. palmatumcultivars , because it has one of the most elegant shapes of any Japanese maple .
It has green palmate farewell like what you ’d typically see on upright forms , but the branch grow upright for a bit before arch and cascade down back down . In the gloaming , it shifts to stunning shadowiness of white-livered , orange , and red .
While it grows to about 20 foot tall , it ’s easy to keep smaller in a container with pruning .
Tamukeyama
ThisA. palmatumis wider than it is tall , top out at eight feet tall but spreading 12 foot wide . With its beautiful flesh and red , heavily lobed , and serrated foliage , it makes an eye - catching focal period .
‘ Tamukeyama ’
Fast Growing Treescarries two- to three- or three- to four - understructure - tall plants if you want to bring this beaut to your yard .
Pick the Perfect Container
When it comes to selecting the right container , pretty much anything that can have got territory and has drainage holes will work . Butdifferent material can make your caper easier or more unmanageable , depending on what challenge you ’re facing .
For instance , alloy container tend to fire up up quickly and do n’t protect the root from moth-eaten as well as , say , cement does . If you last somewhere thatexperiences freeze wintersand sweltering summer , metallic element is probably not the right pick .
Terra cotta is usually inexpensive than other materials and breathes well , but it also incline to crack in region where freezing temperature are common .
It ’s a serious challenge to repot a huge tree , and you do n’t want to be doing it every year after your pot crack during the winter . you may wrap it in burlap or cardboard to help oneself preclude this , or go with a dissimilar cloth .
Plastic is a democratic alternative because it ’s low-cost , durable , and lightweight . These do n’t last as long or protect the roots from cold as well as other options such as cementum or stone do , but they view as piss well .
in person , I prefer candy ceramic . They ’re weighed down and they protect the roots from temperature fluctuation , hold back water well , wo n’t crack ( so long as the glazing is intact ) , and they last a retentive , long time .
A wheeled base either built - in or for station the container on is a back recoverer if you ever contrive on moving the tree diagram .
you may observe elegant one that stay in place and add to the appearing of your display or you may find more useful single that can hold an impressive amount of weighting , like this one by CASIMR , which can help you move up to 440 pound .
Heavy Duty Plant Stand with steering wheel
If you need some wheels to go with your tree , pick one of these upat Amazon .
Speaking of sizing , if you ’ve ever seen a Japanese maple bonsai , then you know they can grow in teeny - tiny pots . However , unless you ’re ready to commit to a destiny of work , you ’re plausibly going to need to choose something a bit large .
For a midget cultivar , a five - gallon container is a sound place to embark on , but you ’ll certainly need to upgrade in the future .
For a full - sized tree diagram , start with a 20 - congius container , lower limit . At some point , you ’ll still probably desire to go up a size or two , but this is a good place to initiate .
Whatever you choose , it dead must provide good drainage . If you use a deal that does n’t have drainage holes , you ’re put yourself up for disaster – root rot wo n’t be a matter of if , but when . In rainy regions , your tree diagram might not even make it a class .
If you ’re disquieted about soil running out of the drainage pickle , use a piece of wire or plastic mesh to cover the golf hole before locate the pot medium in the container .
Choose a Potting Soil
Any safe - quality potting soil will do the job , but we can do better than that , right ?
The type of soil you should use count on whether your container provides irrigation or not . If you have built - in irrigation , which interpret to reproducible water system , you’re able to go with potting filth that has the average amount of water - retentive material blend in .
We ’ll cover this in a minute more detail in the maintenance section below .
I ’m a huge sports fan of FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil mix for several reasons .
It has the right pH for Nipponese maples , includes bat guano , Pisces meal , and nightcrawler castings for nutrients , and has the perfect grain to allow both water and air to get at the ancestor .
FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
Honestly , if I could fill my entire garden with this material , I would . Until we can fill the creation with this excellent soil , you could pick it up in 12 - quart bagsat Amazon .
If you do n’t have consistent rainfall or a container watering arrangement in place , add coconut coir , sphagnum moss , or Sir Tim Rice Hull to a gamy - quality potting grunge .
I choose the last option because rice hulls are exceptionally sustainable . They ’re a waste product that ’s totally renewable . They also increase aeration and improve drainage .
Rice Hulls
collar a quarter , half , or full cubic foot of hullsat Arbico Organics .
Do n’t set any broken pottery or rocks in the base of the container . I get it on this is a commonly recommended practice , but it wo n’t serve with drainage . Just fill the intact container with your chosen sensitive .
Planting Tips
To plant your novel tree , first place a fleck of soil in the container as a base . You at long last need the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to sit at the same floor it was in the container that it came in , so just do your best to eyeball the height .
Remove the works from its pot and softly loosen the base . Place the plant life into the container . If it is sitting too downhearted , add a bit more territory . If it ’s sitting too high , scoop a little out . Once you have the right height , occupy in around the root with grunge .
Be certain to leave an column inch or so of space at the rim to allow for gentle tearing . Water the ground well to help root it . You ’ll in all likelihood get that everything root a bit more than look . If so , tot up a bit more potting mass medium and water again .
How to Care for Potted Maples
depend on the cultivar , place your tree in a spot where it will invite partial to full sunlight . Nipponese maples can last in less light , but they tend to become leggy .
If you do n’t have a container watering organization set up or your flora wo n’t be hit by sprinklers , you might want to invest in some sort ofirrigation system . If you live in a showery surface area , a dropper might be all you need , or you might desire to install a drip mold irrigation organization that hooks up to your hose spigot .
Japanese maples like consistent moisture and they wo n’t raise as well if they experience steady drought . It ’s one thing to keep trees in the ground irrigate , but it ’s another matter entirely for trees in containers .
throne be given to dry out more quickly than the land in the ground . If you’re able to adhere your finger into the soil and it ’s wry to your first knuckle , it ’s time to add water .
you could certainlyadd mulchto help the territory retain water , such as a layer of gem , pine chips , or straw , though I ’d argue that moss is far well - look .
Living moss helps retain moisture in addition to adding optic interest . The mintage of moss you should practice will depend altogether on where you live . Gardeners in rainy regions can get off with pick out species that would die straight off in the desert .
I find that Irish moss ( Sagina subulata ) , which is n’t a true moss but is actually link up todianthus , is passably worldwide . It can handle anywhere in zona 4 to 8 and does well in pots .
Irish Moss
It does n’t need a ton of moisture but it wo n’t go bad if it have oodles of rain for a while , so long as the drain is good .
Grab some fromNature Hills Nursery .
Or you might view plant something low - grow with shallow roots . Stonecrop(Sedumspp . ) , mellifluous woodruff ( Galium odoratum ) , creep Jenny ( Lysimachia nummularia ) , barren strawberry ( Geum fragarioides ) , and barbaric hemangioma simplex ( Fragaria vesca ) are all good choice .
As with all potted plants , you will dead need to fertilize your trees . The soil in containers leaches nutrients more quickly than earth soil , so you ’ll need to reapply it .
Look for a fertilizer made specifically for trees or a mild balanced fertilizer with an NPK of 3 - 3 - 3 or 4 - 4 - 4 .
I love Down to Earth ’s Tree and Shrub food for thought , which not only has the perfect Libra for decorative tree diagram , but it contains 11 strains of mycorrhizal fungi , which many potted plant soils lack .
Just as our microbiomes must be healthy for us human beings to be level-headed , plants need good bacterium and fungi in their soil to keep them healthy .
Down to Earth Tree and Shrub Fertilizer
snap up a five- or 25 - pound box of DTE ’s Tree and Shrub foodat Arbico Organics .
Repotting
You don’thaveto repot your maple . If you like the container that it ’s in , you’re able to keep it there . You ’ll just have to work out at it .
Every three age or so , you ’ll ask to pull the whole plant out of the container and check the origin .
If they ’re becoming compact and there is n’t much ground visible , gently loosen the root and brush away as much soil as you could . You might postulate to use a stream of waterfrom your garden hoseto assist in the process .
Using a unobjectionable pair of clipper , lightly cut off about a quarter of the theme . Focus on anything that looks dead or waste .
exchange the flora in the container with fresh soil .
If you settle to go up a sizing with the container , there is no indigence to clip away any roots unless you see some that are broken or dead . take away the works from the container , sweep away as much soil as you’re able to , and repot it in fresh , clean soil .
Moving up a size can be done every few age or whenever the flora get down to look stressed , with frequent wilting , embrown leaves , or roots emerging out of the soil or drain holes .
Bring the Beauty of Japanese Maples to Practically Any Spot
Is n’t it nice to fuck that there ’s a tree diagram that is much stark for container growing ? Japanese maples are n’t fazed by life in a heap and boy do they make a magic , elegant addition to wherever you put them .
Whether you use them to add some height to a garden or to impart nature to a highrise balcony , these plants are ready for the job .
Which cultivar are you design to get ? Let us know in the scuttlebutt section below .
If you ’re hop toexpand your Nipponese maple gardening repertoire , we have several guide that you might find utile . Check these out next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally published September 23 , 2022 . Last update February 23 , 2023 . Product photo via Arbico Organics , CASIMR , FastGrowingTrees.com , Hydroponic City Store , Maple Ridge Nursery , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited exposure : Shutterstock .
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Kristine Lofgren
