Japanese Maple

catlady_2008

18 years ago

I have a Butterfly Maple in a 24" cube container. It's been there for approx. 3-4 years. Was moved from Portland, OR in the same 24" container to here/zone 6b the summer of 7/06. Have kept it on a sheltered, south facing patio. It has survived 2 very cold winters & seems to be thriving this spring after both the extreme winter cold and last summer's heat. Would like to put it in the ground if possible: north side of house??? where it would get morning part sun and afternoon shade. Clay soil is everywhere. It has never been repotted. Please advise: repot? or attempt to place it in the ground. Other locations in the yard are possible. House faces north. Thank you!!

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Comments (5)

Embothrium
18 years ago
Yes, shade would probably be best there. Good drainage essential for Japanese maples. If you don't have a suitable spot in the ground then bump up a container size. Undesirable to have tub freeze inside, maybe plant in one with casters added to bottom so you can move it more easily.
mattnova
18 years ago
I have just been through the same situation and although I am a novice, I will repeat what I was told.

With clay soil your best bet for a thriving tree is either plant it in a raised bed or repot it. Just make sure not to leave the roots exposed to air for a long period. The tiniest roots will dry out and prevent proper water uptake,etc. Plant in a fast draining mix and water frequently. The mix Al came up with seems quite popular and most here swear by it. If you need more info about that, try the search feature or ask here.
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catlady_2008
Original Author
18 years ago
I appreciate your responses! What actions did either of you take: repot? or construct a raised bed? etc?? How is your tree doing after that? Are you in the 6b zone, too? Are there many JM's planted in your area? I haven't seen them around here. Not sure if it is that they do not do well, or it is just not a popular tree in this area.
mattnova
18 years ago
My goal eventually is to get most of my JM's in the ground. I only have 2 in the ground at the moment and I used a raised bed for those. The rest are in pots in a sheltered location.

I am in zone 6b, winchester,va and I work in loudoun county,va. I have seen tons of JM's around here but it seems like 95% of them are Crimson Queen or Bloodgood which are great trees for the area but too common.

Many JM's should do well in this area, especially if provided a location suitable for the cultivar in question. Some wind is good in general to air out the leaves but high winds can be tough on a tree as well as too much sun on certain cultivars. Late winter frosts can be hard for early leafers such as Katsura if you don't take preventative action.

I think the main reason you don't see too many around here is that JM's are typically relatively expensive and the average Joe doesn't have a clue that there are so many cultivars available or how to grow them.
mattnova
18 years ago
Oh, I forgot to add. Most of my JM's took well to the repotting yet I have a few young trees that have never been through a winter since repotting but I expect good results. Out of my 13, I am hoping and should be able to keep at least 12 alive if not all. I have a Germaine's Gyration that isn't looking so hot right now but it was a pitiful excuse for a graft to start with. We will see....