Tips for Japanese Maple Tree Maintenance

The graceful lines, delicate foliage and fall colors of the Japanese maple make them a prized landscape specimen. Japanese maples grow well with minimal maintenance, but some attention to yearly tasks further ensure the tree grows healthy and retains its attractive form.

Annual Pruning

Unlike most trees, Japanese maples respond best to fall pruning. Trim out dead, weak and damaged branches as well as twiggy growth. Remove new branches forming on the trunk beneath the tree canopy. Crossed branches inhibit air circulation and more prone to damage, so removal is best. Light pruning to maintain the shape and form of the tree is also done at this time. Use clean shears for small branches and a pruning saw for larger ones. Remove branches within a ¼ inch of a bud or branch collar.

Irrigation

A sufficient soil covering of organic mulch improves the appearance around the maple and helps conserve soil moisture. Spread wood chips or a similar mulch over the ground in a 3 inch layer. The mulch must extend out over the ground beneath the entire canopy. Don't push the mulch right up against the trunk. Leave a small space between to prevent moisture rot. Water the maple every 10 to 14 days, providing enough irrigation so the top 15 to 24 inches of soil is evenly moist.

Fertilization

Young Japanese maples don't require fertilization until their second year after transplanting. Use a slow-release, all-purpose fertilizer, or a fertilizer specifically formulated for maple trees. Apply approximately 1 cup of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter annually in the spring, after new growth begins. Sprinkle the fertilizer in a circle around the tree, at least 1 foot out from the trunk. Thorough watering forces the fertilizer down to the root zone of the tree.