In Japan, there is the autumn holiday of momiji, the season of red maples, when the whole country admires the change of green foliage to orange-red, autumn. Classic Japanese maples are thermophilic, but the family is not limited to these species; American red maple grows well in central Russia.
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Description of varieties and species
Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a native of North America; its three or five lobed leaves sit on red petioles. In summer, the leaves are light green above and whitish below. Especially red maple is beautiful in autumn. Before finally turning red, the leaf turns yellow, orange, and scarlet.
The most interesting varieties:
- Oktober Glory - leaves are glossy, green in summer, and raspberry red in autumn;
- Red Sunset - a tree with an oval crown and a rich palette of autumn colors from orange-red to pure red;
- Armstrong - differs in a pyramidal crown;
- Somerset - blooms in April, before the leaves bloom, in autumn, dark green foliage becomes bright red;
- Sun Valley - the tree is low, up to 6 m; in autumn, the leaves acquire beautiful shades from bright scarlet to dark red.
Varieties with red autumn foliage are also found among other species - Japanese red maple, Shirasawa maple, cuneiform or fan, holly.
Planting red maple in the open ground
American maples are one of the few members of the genus that grow well in shading and can withstand prolonged flooding of the root system. Maples love rich nutrient substrates; they cannot stand sand and rocky soils. The bright red decorative color of the foliage does not appear on alkaline soil. Maple planting is carried out on a site with fertile soil.
The tree requires constant hydration, so at the bottom of the pit they make good drainage so that excess water leaves. A complex mineral fertilizer is introduced into the planting hole, mixing it with the soil. The size of the pit should correspond to the root system. The seedling is watered, the trunk circle is mulched with peat, compost, sawdust or straw.
Agrotechnics cultivation and care
Red maple is frost-resistant, undemanding to soil moisture. In his homeland, in North America, he is considered one of the most drought-resistant maples. At the same time, it is one of the few species that grows on flooded, almost swampy soils.
In caring, the tree is unpretentious, requires much less attention than fruit trees. In summer, red maple loves sprinkling on leaves in dry weather. In the spring, two weeks before the buds open, sanitary pruning is carried out, complex mineral fertilizer is applied and the trunk circle is mulched.
When pests occur, the tree is treated with insecticides. Most often, he is affected by maple whitefly, mealybug and leaf weevil. Of maple diseases, coral spotting is common - maroon spots appear on the bark. Affected branches are removed and burned, the sections are lubricated with garden var. In autumn, maple leaves are picked from under the trees to prevent the spread of infections.
Cropping and shaping the crown
As a rule, maples naturally have beautiful spreading, conical, pyramidal or rounded crowns that do not need forming pruning. In spring and autumn, when the movement of juice is slowed down, sanitary pruning of the branches is carried out, removing dried and frozen shoots affected by pests or diseases.
Excess root shoots and shoots of competitors, thickening the crown and intersecting each other, are also cut. With age (about 10 years after planting), the skeletal branches of a tree can be shortened by 2/3. If the height of the tree must be kept at a certain level, the top is pruned annually.
Plant propagation methods
Some species produce abundant root shoots. To propagate such trees, it is enough to dig a young seedling in spring, and separate it from the mother tree, plant it in a new place.
Varietal maples are propagated in two ways:
- The seeds. Maple seeds require stratification before planting. They can be kept for 3 months in a refrigerator at a temperature of 0 to 4 ° C. Or sow the seeds in the open ground in the fall 3-5 cm in depth. Of these, young bores appear in spring, which are best covered for next winter.
- Cuttings and grafting. This method is often used in garden centers to obtain good quality seedlings. Cuttings of varietal maples are grafted onto a finished stock with a developed root system.
When growing maples, it is necessary to control their distribution, since this easily occurs by self-sowing, in time to weed out unwanted shoots.
Red Maple Wintering
Red maple is a winter-hardy ornamental plant. He does not need special shelter for the winter. Only young seedlings can freeze in severe snowless winters.
To shelter a small tree, a frame is constructed, which is wrapped around with a non-woven covering material. In order not to freeze the roots, a thick layer of mulch is poured into the trunk circle.
For successful wintering of maple from mid-summer, fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is stopped. To prepare for frost, a tree needs only potassium and phosphorus. In the fall, before the soil freezes, it is possible to carry out water-charging irrigation, which will protect the root system from damage.
Landscape design
The culture is used for single and group plantings in garden plots and in parks. Small decorative forms are grown as tub plants, create a bonsai.
Maple with red leaves is suitable for decorating the shores of ponds and recreation areas, creating hedges. It blends nicely with elms, oaks, birches and lindens.And also with coniferous trees - pines, firs, firs, larch. In stony gardens, low varieties of wood look good next to the incense.
Precisely burning candles decorate maples with fall red foliage gardens and parks. Unusual trees stand out noticeably against the yellow-orange autumn background. Bright colors create a festive, good mood, which is so lacking in rainy autumn days.
