However, digging a non dormant plant is not recommended. If you are digging a Japanese maple that is not dormant, then it’s very important not to sever any major roots. See this post for more details on this process. A tree with a 2″ caliper trunk would need a root ball 24″ in diameter. Tree caliper is the diameter of the trunk, measured six inches above the soil line. The rule of thumb is 12″ of root ball per 1″ of tree caliper. This will help your tree become established in its new home. In fact, root pruning will force the tree to produce more fibrous roots at the cut. As long as your tree is dormant, cutting the roots will not damage your Japanese maple. Step #1: Dig Your Treeīegin by digging a trench around the root ball. Sometimes it’s unavoidable and you gotta’ do what you gotta’ do, but if at all possible, it’s best to wait to dig your tree. In high wind areas, stake taller trees for a year if necessary.Likewise, digging a Japanese maple that is “wide awake” and actively growing can put your tree into shock. Water thoroughly and cover with a one to two-inch layer of mulch. Do not place any backfill mixture on the top of the rootball. When planting on level ground, and your rootball is higher above the ground, taper your backfill soil mixture from the top edge of the rootball gradually towards the grade. Pull your backfill soil mixture around the root ball in the hole, tamping as you go to remove air pockets. Set the plant into the hole you've prepared, making sure the top of the root ball is slightly above the soil level (1/3 of the rootball above the ground if planting on level ground) to allow for settling. Remove your plant from its container and carefully but firmly loosen the roots around the exterior of the root ball. If the native soil is dense, compacted or heavy clay mix in a good organic compost or soil amendment at a 30/70 ratio with the soil removed from the hole. Turn and break up the soil removed from the planting hole. If the water is still standing 12 hours later, improve the drainage in your bed, perhaps by establishing a mound to plant your tree in. If the hole drains within a few hours, you have good drainage. To plant a Japanese maple, dig a hole no deeper than the root ball and two to three times the width of the root ball and fill it with water. Underplant them with low growing shrubs or groundcovers. Don't plant them too close to other trees or large shrubs that might overcrowd them in the future. Use them to accentuate an entryway or as a focal point to draw attention to a certain area of the landscape or home. Japanese maples stand out best when they are planted as a single specimen. In the deep South, where the sun is stronger during summer, they benefit from some afternoon shade. Bright sunlight and hot summers do not kill trees, but in hot summer areas, the newest leaves may burn and scald when exposed to full, all-day sun. Ideally they prefer to be grown in similar conditions. In their natural habitat, Japanese maples are understory trees, growing in dappled forest sunlight and at the edges of woodlands. Japanese maples will grow in sun or shade but, in the deep South, most variteies benefit from some afternoon shade. Bloodgood can grow in a wide range of soil pH preferring a slightly acidic soil. Plant the Bloodgood Japanese maple in sites that provide most any type of soil, but it must be well-drained! Wet soggy soil around the roots is a killer. If you just can't get up the nerve to prune a Japanese maple that needs pruning, call your local certified arborist. Here's a link to a good article that provides instructions and shows illustrations for heavy or hard pruning of a Japanese maple: ![]() Major pruning should only be performed during the dormant season (Winter), after the leaves have fallen and prior to leaf production in the Spring. If your Japanese maple has grown beyond the boundaries of the area it was intended to fill, major pruning may be necessary. Light pruning can be be performed at any time of year other than during Spring when the sap is rising. There are various methods for pruning Japanese maples, however, when properly located in the garden they don't usually require anything more than a light, corrective pruning of a stray branch here or there.
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