Crimson Queen Japanese Red Maple.
Crimson Queen is by far one of the most beautiful of the Laceleaf Weeping Japanese maples on the market. However, I see so many of them that are improperly pruned and cared for. It’s not so much that they are improperly pruned, they are not pruned at all. Which is really about the worst kind of plant abuse that I know of it, and it is by far the most common and the most damaging plant abuse.
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You have to Trim Your Plants if you Want them to Look Good!
Getting a Laceleaf Weeping Japanese maple to look like this one in my landscape does not happen by accident. If you start with a really small plant like this one . . .
Training a Crimson Queen Japanese Red Maple.
As you can see from this photo I have this small Crimson Queen tied to stake. Keep in mind, this is a weeping plant. Like all weeping plants, the only thing that it knows how to do on it’s own is weep. So in order to get it to the height that you want it to be you have to train it to a stake, bamboo or another garden stake.
Just put the stake in the ground next to the plant then select a branch to act as a central leader. Pull that branch upright and tie it to the stake. If you don’t know what to use as a tie, one wrap of duct tape works pretty well but it only last for one season. But that’s kind of a good thing, because eventually the ties have be removed and more ties have to be added to continue working to get the height that you need.
Look closely, the plant in the above photo is a grafted plant. See the graft union right about the soil line?
Goshiki Shidare Lace Leaf Weeping Japanese Maple.
Goshiki Shidare is another of the lace leaf varieties of weeping Japanese maples. It has variegated foliage. Keep in mind that we started out with a skinny plant tied to a stake. Once we get that skinny kid to the height that we desire we start shaping the plant. Along the way if the small plant has rouge branches that are growing out away for the tree they should be pruned off.
Keep in mind, anything that needs to be removed from any plant, the sooner the better. No matter what time of the year. I prune 12 months a year as I take the notion. That’s why I always carry pruning shears in the front pocket of my bibs.
Once your tree is to the height that you desire, stand back and picture in your mind how you want that tree to look. Once you have that image in your mind, draw an imaginary line over the tree, and under the tree. Any branches that are growing outside of that imaginary line need to be removed. Just cut them back to the imaginary line. Do this all the way around the plant, then just keep doing it two or three times a year. Eventually you will have a nice full plant like you see in these photos.
Waterfall Japanese Maple.
Japanese Red Maple Seedling.
This is a Japanese Red Maple seedling, probably two years old. Normally I don’t grow these myself from seed, I prefer to buy them from other growers. I usually pay around $1.50 each for them. What I used to do as soon as I took them out of the box was to cut the top of them to force them to fill out a little.
But I no longer do that. I just pot them up and let them take care of themselves. Since they are so slow growing leaving them unpruned for the first growing season doesn’t really hurt them at all.
As you can see from this photo taken at the very end of the growing season, this plant has started to lose it’s leaves and is pretty small and spindly. That’s fine. Come next spring that little tree will flush out and be covered with leaves and by mid summer small branches up and down the stem.
With Japanese Red Maple seedlings I find that they look better, and most people prefer to buy them when they are grown as multi stemmed plants. So unlike the weeping trees, I do not remove buds from along the stem. I allow those buds to develop into branches as you’ll see in the video on this page.
Orange Dream Japanese Maple.
This Orange Dream Japanese maple is an upright tree. In other words, it does not weep and will grow a lot like Bloodgood and other upright Japanese maples. In this photo the maple is getting lost in amongst these Huechera, but in a couple of years it will gain some height and will be an awesome plant with spectacular spring color.
Bloodgood Japanese Red Maple Tree.
Bloodgood is an upright Japanese Red maple. Unlike a tree grown from seed, Bloodgood is notorious for it’s deep blood red color that is consistent throughout the growing season. Probably the most popular of all the upright Japanese maples.
Notice the multi branching habit that starts down low. Ideally I like to see multi stems even lower than that, but these are living plants and even though we can trim them and train them, we can’t manufacture them into identical clones. They are living things and at times will do as they please. Our job is to guide them along.
Lion’s Head Japanese Maple.
This little beauty is Lion’s Head. Lion’s Head is a sort of an upright tree, but it has the coolest branching habit of all the Japanese maples. The branches tend to grow more horizontal but they remind me of standing under a gigantic tree looking upward, but in fact these trees are really small and slow growing. The leaves are dark green but still one of my all time favorites.
Again, pruning a Lion’s Head Japanese maple is about getting the height that you want, then start trimming the top a little to get it to spread out.
A mature Lion’s Head Japanese Maple.
At the time this photo was taken, this Lion’s Japanese maple had been in our landscape at our previous house for 8 years and as you can see it was still less than 40″ tall and only about 36″ wide. But when you look inside the tree the branches look so mature.
Pam is the one who does most of the trimming of the plants in our landscape, especially the Japanese maples and she does a really good job. This tree she trimmed about three times a year. Not so much because it desperately needed it, but just to keep it neat and tight and to maintain this slightly rounded, table top shape.
Keep in mind, this tree was right in front of the porch so we didn’t want it to block our view from the porch. Instead, I just enjoyed sitting on the porch admiring it’s beauty.
Butterfly Japanese Maple.
“Butterfly” is an upright Japanese maple but this one we kept trimmed to a height of about 40″. Why? Couple of reasons actually. One, because of where it was located in the landscape we didn’t want a tall tree that we couldn’t see over or through. If it were out away from the house farther, then I’d allow it to grow more upright.
Secondly, the variegated foliage with it’s light green, white, and pink colors was so beautiful we wanted to be able to enjoy that array of colors each time we passed by it.
Make sure you watch the video, you’ll see me doing actual pruning of Japanese maples in the nursery!
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Questions? Comments? Post them below and I’ll do my best to reply to them.
I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. My dwarf Bloodgood laceleaf Japanese Maple is 30 years old… I have kept it 5 feet tall and kept it pruned to maintain the size for it’s location. I’ve also kept the canopy raised. What I like about it are the lovely twisted trunks underneath the beautifully naturally shaped flowing branches, as seen in Japanese gardens I have visited.
Les,
I agree on being able to see those twisted trunks.
Japanese maples are prized not only for their varied foliage, but for their natural form. Some pruning can help maximize their cleanliness, but they should not look like gumballs. Being natural understory trees, it’s hard to not have a very full Japanese maple when placed in full sun. I understand that it can’t be helped in that case. For the weepers, one should try to attain a layered form comprised of branch tiers. For very vigorous upright varieties, just thinning the multiple parallel and/or crossing branches should be sufficient. Also, in my opinion, stakes should be banned when dealing with Japanese maples. I apologize for this as I generally believe that people shouldn’t spread negativity.
Hi, Mike. Thank you for the very informative post. I’m in the market for a Japanese maple to fit inside a an area that’s 6′ wide in diameter, and 7″ in height.
I’m finding this to be rather difficult, so I’ve started researching whether or not I can “trim” a Japanese maple to discourage height. Ideally, I’d like for the tree to be no taller than 5′.
I’ve read many articles that state that pruning a Japanese maple to discourage height “simply will not work.” However, I see here that you’ve done just that. I guess I’m asking for reassurance.
Before I purchase a tree, would you say that it’s possible to trim a Japanese maple to keep it at a certain height?
Thank you so much. I apologize for any redundancy.
Allison,
I will say that it can work, I’ve done it many times and right now have several Japanese maples in my landscape that will never see 6′ tall. But select varieties that are slow growing. I’d say Butterfly, Beni Shenghi (probably spelled that wrong) Lion’s Head or a dissectum variety that will not grow tall but you’d have to keep it pruned to keep it from getting wider than 6′. There are a number that will grow slow and stay compact if you can find them. Most garden centers will have faster growing Japanese maples like Bloodgood. Super slow growing, see this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2018/05/simple-landscape-design-ideas/2018-05-11-17-55-44/
l live in Orlando FL. I would like to get Red Maple seedlings also could you tell me what kind of plants would do good in this area would very much appreciate your input
have a great day,
Thank you,
Zoraida
Zoraida,
The best place to buy Japanese maple seedlings in small quantities is in our members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, I have other wholesale sources that I share with members but there are minimum orders. Not the case in our members area. Plants that do well in your area? See this list;
21 Plants that are Easy to Grow and Sell Like Crazy
The following 21 plants are really easy to grow and they sell like hot cakes. They always have been really good sellers and they always will be really good sellers. And this list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to plants that you can grow and sell that people want to buy.
1. Forsythia
2. Red Weigela
3. Varigated Weigela
4. Pink Flowering Weigela
5. Red Twig Dogwood
6. Fragrant Viburnums
7. All Flowering Viburnums
8. Potentilla
9. Dappled Willow
10. Pussy Willow
11. Daylillies
12. Hosta
13. Huchera
14. All kinds of Perennials
15. Armeria
16. Boxwood
17. Japanese Hollies
18. English Hollies
19. Rhododendrons
20. PJM Dwarf Rhododendron
21. Hydrangeas
22. Rose of Sharon
23. Dwarf Alberta Spruce
24. White Dogwood trees
25. Chinese Dogwoods
26. Blue Rug Juniper
27. Gold Flame Spirea
28. Gold Mound Spirea
29. Ornamental Grasses of all kinds
30. Crimson Pygmy Barberry
31. Rosy Glow Barberry
Okay, that’s 31 and I could go on forever.
Here are some plants for warmer zones, 8,9, and 10
Fragrant Tea Olive
Gardenia,
Camellia,
Azalea,
Jasmines
Palm trees
Tropical Hibiscus
Burgundy Chinese Fringe Flower
Bogainvilla
Owari & Hamlin Oranges
Satsuma
Kumquat
Azalea (out the wazoo down here)
Crepe Myrtle (ditto)
Lilies
Camelias
amaryllis
hybrids such as Blossom Peacock and Papillo
Japanese Pieris
Satsuma’s
Star gazer lilies
Crape Myrtles of all kinds
Gardenia varieties-evergreen
Azalea varieties-evergreen & deciduous(native)
Camellia varieties-evergreen
Fragrant Tea Olive-evergreen
Nandina varieties-evergreen
Loropetalum/Chinese fringe flowers
Chase Tree
Abelia -so many new exciting varieties -good for zones 6-10!
Viburnums
Daphne
Cleyera-evergreen
Burning Bush/ Euonymus varieties…
Spirea -especially Bridalwreath, Little Princess, Goldmound…
Butterfly Bushes
Jasmines (vines-Carolina, Confederate)
Confederate Rose
Lady Banks Rose
Anise (check out Florida Sunshine)
Holly-Soft Touch/Sky Pencil/Youpon/Burfordii….
Crape Myrtles
Japanese Magnolias(Saucer, Betty, Royal Star…)
Southern Magnolias
Dogwoods
Red Buds
Japanese Maples
Evergreen hedge trees/shrubs
Leyland Cypress
Murray/Arborvitae
Japanese Cedar(cryptomeria)
false cypress(Chamaecyparis…)
Junipers-Blue Rug, Sargentii, Blue Point,…
Trees:
Chinense Pistache
Fruitless Mulberry
Weeping Willow
Live oak
Red oak
Catalpa
Vitex (or Chaste Tree)
Desert Willow
Shrub:
Nellie R Stevens
Wax Myrtle
Red Tip Photinia
Korean Boxwood
Radicans Gardenia
Loropetalum
Yaupon Holly
Perennials:
Salvias
Sedums
Butterfly Bush
Reeves Spiraea
Van Houtti Spiraea
Vines:
Honeysuckle (coral)
Crossvine
Star Jasmine
You are the best!! Thanks for the Japanese maple advice ????
Japanese Maple trimming….. why do you not take the cuttings and start new trees as shown on other programs by you?
Dr. Jerry,
Japanese maples are difficult but not impossible to root as cuttings. Some claim that even if you are able to root them they will eventually fail because of a weak root system. However, I knew of a large grower that did root thousands of Bloodgood Japanese maples from cuttings. So it’s not impossible.
Watching you prune is just amazing.
we had a terrible year and a half with 2 deaths in the family and I’ve gotten behind. It reminded me that my Harry Lauder Walking Stick is way overdue for a good pruning. It has gotten too wide for its space and is blocking access onto our deck. How can I prune it into an upright position at about 4 or 5 years old without harming it?
I do appreciate all of the advice you share.
Anita,
If you wait until your Harry Lauder’s is completely dormant, usually after Thanksgiving you should be able to prune it as much as you like and not harm it. Of course, there is always some risk so I can’t offer you a guarantee, but if it were me I wouldn’t hesitate to prune as needed. I think you’ll be surprised. However, and this is a really big however, thousands of Harry Lauder’s around the country have died in the past few years because of a blight. I suggest you visit this page and inspect your plant, https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2012/10/my-harry-lauders-walking-stick-is-dying/
I would love for you to report back and let me know if your plant is still healthy with no signs of this blight. That’s how devastating it has been.
Hi Mike love your videos. I have a friend who recently bought her first home, with a giant of a Japanese maple, in the front yard. Since I’m the green some of this group, she came to me to ask if I could trim this tree. It’s red, laceleaf, and pretty weepy. It’s also about 8 foot tall!!!! She likes the height but she’d also like to be able to mow underneath it. so… A couple of branches that I would consider cutting are really low about knee high and I’m 5 foot 5. But these branches are about 4 to 5 in in diameter. I don’t want to stress the tree too much or even kill it seeing how it’s so well-established. Any thoughts on how I should do this. Thanks for your Insight and I’m always inspired. 🙂
Crystal,
Wait until the tree is completely dormant, usually after Thanksgiving then prune as needed, it shouldn’t hurt the tree at all. Tree trimmers do a lot of heavy pruning on trees daily and they do it often when the trees are not dormant. But keep in mind there’s always a risk and I can’t be responsible if the tree should have an issue. But I seriously doubt it.
Mike,
I have 24 nice one year grafted Japanese Maples in 1 gallon pots. Last year I had 18 of them and tried to over winter them uncovered but below grade with all the other potted plants. 17 of them didn’t make it. What would you suggest to over winter these beautiful Japanese Maples?
Chuck, see this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/11/over-wintering-protecting-plants-for-the-winter/
do you ever get scale or wooley aphids on your lions head maple mine was just covered with it i have never seen it before i have it growing in a container i sprayed it twice with and ensecticdal soap today i just pruned most of the branches off its about 8 years old love it
Vivian,
No, I’ve never had that problem with Japanese maples.
mike I have a tamukeyama Japanese maple under which I saw a baby seedling.. I carefully dug it up and put it in a 4 inch pot. Its been in there for about 2 years and is looking really nice. I keep it in my enclosed patio where it gets sun . I staked it with a stick and is now about 10 inches tall. I live on Long Island n.y. During the winter should I give it water if I keep it in the patio? Could you please advise me what o do next. I don’t want to lose it. Thank you for your time.
Chuck
Chuck,
You don’t say how warm the patio is during the winter, but even if cold, it will still need a little bit of water. Usually they are much happier in the ground, in protected, somewhat shady area. Planted out now it would be established by winter. But that’s your call.
Mike,
Thank you so much for the information on pruning Japanese Maples. It’s amazing how much you can change and improve the shape of a plant just by pruning it. Japanese Maples are such beautiful trees. I would like to learn how to prune them well. Thank you for all your great gardening advice in your weekly newsletter. I always save your newsletter onto my computer, for future reference and study.. And thanks for all the encouragement you give.
So Mike,
I didn’t read the nursery note or watch the attached you tube video because I can’t make the time tonight. But even without the welcome information I know I will be entertained, informed and glad I spend the time keeping in touch you, I have gardened for over fifteen years and so many of your posts still teach me something new..My new and final homestead is a huge two acres and I need this Japanese Maple to give me more than Richmond grass to look at!!!!
Mike I purchased a home with a lace leaf Japanese maple that has never been trimmed its out of control what should I do to try to make it beautiful again ?
Deborah,
All you can do is trim as needed. As long as you don’t remove too much it should be fine. You can always trim more during the winter when it is dormant.
hi Mike,
i bought 2 Red Emperor Japanese maple trees last summer. they were doing well in their original pots, i kept them outside & in the sun when the weather was anything warmer than 5 degrees Celsius. in the late fall, as expected, the leaves dried up, but they didn’t fall off.
i removed the dried leaves & kept the trees in a dark storage room (usually about 16 – 19 degrees Celsius) on the main floor of my house to mimic the winter, i watered them just enough to keep the roots from drying out. i kept them in the storage room until mid Feb, which i then still kept them in the house but near a window that gets only partial sun shining through during the day.
since mid Feb, i haven’t noticed any growth of the branch buds, the trees still look bare but most of the branches still seem pliable. i removed the brittle dead branches. only this week (April 8), i moved them outside to get more sunlight.
are my trees dead or dying/in trouble? if they are dying/in trouble, is there anything i can do to save them? did i make an error in my care of them?
It sounds to me like your trees died last fall. When the leaves turn brown, but don’t fall of the tree, that’s not a good sign. Truth be told, plants are happiest in the ground, year round. There’s really not much you can do but keep them watered but not soaking wet and see if they bud out. Once it warms up you can do a scratch test, but a scratch test can yield false results when the weather is still cold.
This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead.
Wait until everything else is leaved out, then do the scratch test.
Mike do you go by the moon phases when doing your cuttings? or does it make any difference?
thanks
Marshall
Marshall,
Not at all, I go buy the hardness of the wood. We start doing softwood cuttings in June thru August, no earlier in the year. You can start softwood cuttings until the wood has harden off a bit. We do hardwood cuttings starting in December and quit doing them by March 1st.
I saw on comments that a seed from a specific maple would not necessarily be the same as the tree it came from, although it would still be a maple. Would a baby maple (seedling) already growing under that tree be the same genus as the parent?
Susan,
It would be the same genus, but not the specific cultivar in the event the parent tree is a named cultivar.
A maple seedling will usually be the same genus and species as the seed-bearing parent, though, as Mike says, it will not be the same named cultivar, if that tree was a named cultivar.
That said, maples can hybridize with other species of maple. This may not be that common, but it can happen.
Just finished your video on Japanese maples – Thank you so much – it was absolutely excellent. I did not know why my baby maples had brown spots.
Last year, I had picked about 80 baby maples out of the ground from under my dwarf Acer Palmatum Japanese maple and planted them in pots. Over the winter I placed the pots in a large box, packed straw around and over them for the winter. Only a handful survived. I know it was an extremely cold winter here (Niagara, Ontario). This spring I had twigs with only dried up buds on it – no little limbs growing. Was it because of the cold?
I have picked another 80+ this year – they are all in pots and have grown between 3″ and 6″ high. What do I do with them this winter? In garage, leave in pots outside, or should I try to transplant them into the ground?
Would very much appreciate your input, thanks,
Susan,
They truly would be much happier in the ground, then leave them there for a year or two and only transplant when dormant. A garage is actually too dry and too cold as well.
Is the care for a red maple the same as a red maple fireglow
Bob,
Yes it is.
Hello I have a two year old fireglow that is grafted not from a seed I don’t know if that matters but when it was delivered The rootball was in a bag so when I put the tree in a container I change the soil but left some around the rootball cause I didn’t want to disturb them. The soil I used comes for a company named tiny roots, made for deciduous trees is that a good soil. The problem I have when checking the soil with a meter the soil around the rootball is wet and the rest of the soil is dry, should I have removed all the soil around the roots because that soil seems to keep moisture longer then the tiny roots soil witch see a to dry out quicker do you have suggestions what I can do with watering. Thank you
Bob,
Japanese maples don’t need a great deal of water so I wouldn’t change anything at this point, just water as needed to keep the soil in the root ball moist but not wet. Eventually as the roots grow into the new soil you should have to water less.
Our maple’s branches all lean towards the west, following the sun. Is it possible to pull down branches somehow on the east side to make the tree look more symmetrical from the front?
Hi Mike, Do you know how tall a viridis Japanese maple will get? Could it be trimmed to not grow past 5-6 feet? I’m assuming if you kept the canopy trimmed the root stock could keep growing.
Rich,
Virdis is not an up growing tree and the rootstock is not going to force the tree to get any higher. An bottom grafted, untrained tree will only get about 24″ tall. Most never get more than 36″ tall. In other words, whatever the height when you buy the tree, you’ll never see it more than 24″ higher than that.
Thank you Mike for your quick response.. How large in diameter will the canopy get? Could it be trimmed to stay within 3-4 feet?
Rich,
With regular pruning it can easily be kept to 48″. And it would be nice and full because of the pruning.
Hi, Mike. I wrote to you about pruning a very unruly Japanese Maple. It was originally planted by a landscaper, who really didn’t know much about the tree, I suppose. So, I know about as much. It seems to me that the tree mentioned above is what I have. It had a pretty shape, but, not so much now.
I searched for pruning a canopy Japanese Maple, with no luck. I’m pretty sure it needed finger pruning, but, too late smart. Can it be saved, do you think? Wish I could send a photo.
Barbara,
I’d trim to the shape you desire right now and if there are suckers coming from below the graft union (straight branches) they should be removed.
Mike, Thanks folr the informational website.
I have a crimson queen tree about 8 yr old I think. It came with the house we just bought. It was looking very abnormal abnormal and I thought it had a disease. It is growing vigorously, but only downward and only towards the right. Till I started researching, I didn’t know that it was a weeping kind of maple. I see that it should have been pruned regularly. Can I still start pruning and trying to tie to stakes? The trunk is pretty heavy, and the but the height of the tree is only 2.5 ft and it looks quite bad. I tried pushing up the branches, but it’s really heavy on the bottom. I would really appreciate it if I could send you a picture and you could tell me if it’s salvageable. I have never pruned in my life. Thank you very much.
Sashi,
There is no way to send me a photo but I can assure you the tree is salvageable. You may never get it as tall as you might like, but it can still be beautiful. Just start pruning for balance and shape the tree best you can. Then landscape around it with low growing plants like Blue Rug Juniper, maybe a few rocks. It will make an awesome center piece.
I used to work at a farm and garden center. they (we) were throwing away some jap maples as “unsalable”. I rescued what I think was a sangu kaku, it was badly damaged. It was obviously a graft. the tree is fine, but I want to know what I’m left with. is this thing gonna get 25 feet tall? it’s okay if it does, I just wanna know.
Sangu Kaku has red stems. If you tree doesn’t have red stems then you might have the Japanese maple root stock that survived when the graft didn’t. Root stocks can be attractive because they are Japanese maple, and some of them are rather interesting. Mature height for Sangu Kaku? I’d say 15′ to 20′ but some google research will give you a better answer. I have some in my nursery but don’t know that I’ve ever seen a mature one.
My Bloodgood is in the sun in California region 9 and the leaves get brown (maybe cause of the water hitting them). Will they do better once they are mature or should I protect it from the sun?
most japs like some shade, especially in the afternoon. the harsh sun will burn their tender leaves.
Hi Mike,
A question from reader Kris:
hi there, probably in the wrong spot for asking this question. but will go a head anyway. interested and excited to try some Japanese maple trees in the spring. have been doing a lot of reading on this site and all the info is great and a little overwhelming for me, seeings how this is all new to me. all of these seedlings that are talked about, the ones that are cheap, 1.50 and such, are these plugs , or whips. are whips used more for grafting? or are they what I would need to start some trees, or would large plugs be better. where would I inquire about theses seedlings. any info would be great . I apologize if I am posting in the wrong area.
thanks, kris.
Hi Kris,
I have also asked Mike your question here: https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2013/10/how-to-grow-and-trim-japanese-maples/#comment-532846
Hello i bought a green japanese maple tree. And this year it started growing that fact that it came it came with a lot of large branches from the bottom and i had just planted i got scare to tream it but now it has a lot more and way longer i want it to look like a big bonsai kind of i really dont know if it harm him to cut some branches. Also i noticed that all branches are coming straight and not curly kind of i was wondering if i can tream it the branches short would my tree get in shock for that? .. blessings your munber 1 follower ..
Sebastian,
You are not going to hurt the tree by trimming it and it sounds to me like those branches might be coming from below the graft union. In that case they are worthless suckers and should be removed. See this http://japanesemaplelovers.com/one-finger-pruning/
Hi, I have recently purchased a “waterfall” Japanese Maple tree only (first one I’ve ever purchased) and I am a little concerned about the little tree, upon arrival, the tree looked healthy but with the tip of the few leaves it has curled, crispy and burnt. It seems like the tree has this tiny little buds between the actual leaves it has but they hasn’t sprouted or grow yet.
The person that sold me the tree said the tree has to adjust to the new environment, since it got shipped from another state.
The tree doesn’t seem to be dying or anything but it doesn’t look like its coming out of the stress state. I’ve had the tree on a partially shaded area, where it gets morning filtered sun (located under another tree that provides partial shade throughout morning time until around 1 pm.
Ive transplanted the tree to a little bit bigger container than where it came, but Im yet to transplant it to a bigger container to grow bigger roots and start to grow.
What do you recommend me to do?, should I keep waiting for new leaves to come and still be patient or should I immediately transplant it to a bigger pot and prune some branches? It is about a foot tall and foot and a half wide, with very few leaves.
Please help.
Thank you so much,
Carlos.
Carlos,
There are really only three things that would cause that. Okay four.
1. It dried out and some point.
2. It was over fertilized, they do not like fertilizer.
3. It’s too wet.
5. It’s planted to deep in the container.
I’m guessing it dried out. You can transplant it, just don’t damage any roots. Keep it watered but not soggy wet. I wouldn’t do any pruning for at least 6 months. It would really be much happier in the ground.
Leslie Wile says
June 25, 2014 at 1:08 am
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I have probably 6 or 7 varieties of Japanese maples in my garden. All are doing very well, and I’m on top of pruning them. There is one awful exception! It is a red Japanese maple, probably looked closes to the Blood Good Japanese Maple as pictured above. Unfortunately I have neglected pruning this tree, not only at the beginning of its growth, but year after year. It is now a very big tree, probably over 25 feet tall. It is in a part of my garden that could use a big tree, BUT it has very few branches–maybe 6–with lots of space in between each branch, so it is very sparse and awkward looking. Each branch is about a foot from the one above it or below it, so it looks scrawny, does not provide shade or a pleasing look. Branches are about1-1 1/2″ thick and would have to be cut with a lopper. Still, I wouldn’t even know which branches to remove, as the tree is so sparse–maybe has 10 branches all told, and at least 8-10 inches between each branch. Is there anything I can do to make the tree fill out, and if not, can I just top prune it before it becomes a sparse monster? Any help on this would be appreciated. I’m usually on top of pruning, but somehow never pruned this because it looked so nice at first. Now, it seems to have gone rogue. Thank you so much!!!
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Leslie,
Top pruning it should make it fill out more. At this point anything is worth a try if you are not happy with the tree.
I have probably 6 or 7 varieties of Japanese maples in my garden. All are doing very well, and I’m on top of pruning them. There is one awful exception! It is a red Japanese maple, probably looked closes to the Blood Good Japanese Maple as pictured above. Unfortunately I have neglected pruning this tree, not only at the beginning of its growth, but year after year. It is now a very big tree, probably over 25 feet tall. It is in a part of my garden that could use a big tree, BUT it has very few branches–maybe 6–with lots of space in between each branch, so it is very sparse and awkward looking. Each branch is about a foot from the one above it or below it, so it looks scrawny, does not provide shade or a pleasing look. Branches are about1-1 1/2″ thick and would have to be cut with a lopper. Still, I wouldn’t even know which branches to remove, as the tree is so sparse–maybe has 10 branches all told, and at least 8-10 inches between each branch. Is there anything I can do to make the tree fill out, and if not, can I just top prune it before it becomes a sparse monster? Any help on this would be appreciated. I’m usually on top of pruning, but somehow never pruned this because it looked so nice at first. Now, it seems to have gone rogue. Thank you so much!!!
hello ! i am a malaysian .I need to know can i grow Japanese maple tree in my country .if can where do i buy seed. can i buy it from you .thank you
Mahadi,
I’m not sure what your climate is. Japanese maples are okay in colder climates, down to zone 5 in the U.S. But they don’t like hot climates with intense sun. You can buy seeds online.
Hi Mike, I always learn so much watching your videos. Can you make one when you dig up the red maples before you sell them? I would love to know how you do this.
Cheers
Louise
Where do you buy japanese maples for $1.25 ?
Hi Mike,
I just watched your video on pruning Japenese Maples. We have what I believe to be a Red Queen weeping maple. The leaves are lacey and the tree is red all year until they drop in the fall. We have had the tree for about 6 years and it is very healthy. It is also very large and the branches touch the ground. We have never trimmed the tree, as we like the graceful appearance and did not know how to prune it. Now, we would like to get the branches up off the ground, but want the tree to maintain the gracefulness rather than look like a formal “umbrella”. How do you recommend we go about this and how much should be trimmed without being so agressive that we chance killing the tree? Also, is this the best time of the year to prune?
Thanks for your help.
Carol
Carol,
Now would be the time to do that pruning. Just selective prune what you want to remove. You will not harm the tree.
thanks mike I learned how to cut my Japanese maple back so they will spread out
I so enjoy these videos! You have helped me learn so much these past few months on maintaining and growing nice plants. I love the Japanese Maple, and recently married and moved my small tree. It didn’t make it through the summer. I wasn’t sure what made it die, now I think I know the reason was due to not placing it in the right place. I had been told Japanese Maple do not like windy areas, so I planted the small tree near the house. Unfortunately, it was in an area where it’s feet were wet more than they should have been. Sigh. I think I will start looking for some seedlings – and give this a try once again. It would be so nice to have our property looking as nice as yours does.
Rhonda,
If you moved the tree during the growing season that alone would be enough to kill it. You can plant trees and shrubs anytime the ground is not frozen, but you can only transplant between early winter and late spring. As soon as plants leaf out in the spring, digging season is definitely over.
I live in Illinois. This spring I bought two Japanese Maples and I never got them planted because I anticipated moving before the winter. The date for moving will be sometime in the spring. Should I plant them in the ground or will they live in the house? I keep the house quite cool.
I love your videos; they are so full of information and seeing how you do things is so much better than just reading – – at least for me. Take care.
Mike, Enjoy your many recommendations on growing various plants, they really help.
However; we take another view, when it comes to pruning Japaneese Maples. We have over 15 of these plants in our yard here in the Pacific Nowrthwest, and we prune each so that we can enjoy the beautiful internal structure of the limb growth. This is particuarly important in the late Fall and Winter.when the leaves fall.
We had “Mushroom , Dome” tops for a long time, but they didn’t look like the natural baeautiful structures we see in Japanees gardens. Pruning out some of the “shaggy dog” branches, so we can see some light through the interior gives more beauty to the structure, in our opinion.
We love the look of limbs, as well as the beauty of the leaves.
When trying to raise seedlings from seed, What are your suggestions for the best technique ?
Don,
I won’t argue with you, I as well really like seeing some of the limb structure, especially on my lion’s head. About the seedlings, you can find that info here; http://www.freeplants.com/free-article-japanese-maples-from-seed.htm
In your picture of the “Orange Dream Japanese Maple” you have some Coral Bells growing. Could you please tell me what variety they are
Love your videos and news letters.
What is the best time of the year to begin growing plants from cuttings or seeds?
Dawn,
I’ll answer that question as I always do. The best time to get started was yesterday. The next best time is right now. In the back of my Easy Plant Propagation book as well as on my http://freeplants.com site, I have a month by month to do list of what you should be propagation right now and how.
Mike, would love to investigate this backyard growing program further, but we are getting ready to move to help my dad in PA from up here in NH. Isn’t there heavy regulations on growing plants in PA? Just wondered if you knew if this type of program would legally work there. Thanks. May God heal your back!
I’m in my 60’s and in physical therapy for my lower back pain–helped immediately. They say they gets lots of gardeners. Almost all the exercises so far are moving in the opposite direction from gardening, so hands on hips, lift chin and curve as if trying to have head touch butt; pull shoulder blades together 5 seconds for 10 times and work up to more; VERY IMPORTANT to sit straight, as if string from head to tailbone and have roll–purchased for this or a rolled up towel–supporting the curve in your back. On mat on floor, face down with hands under shoulders, do push ups keeping hips on floor, so elbows will stay bent, and this is a move to strengthen arms, shoulders, and abdomen, while getting back to flex away from the gardening stoop/reach. There are more, of course, and the repetitions and intensity grow as you can handle it. Goal is to do the exercises until muscles are tired but NOT in any pain. Take breaks while gardening to counter what gardening does to your back and do some of these. I hope this helps all of us gardeners; I hate to hear what you, Mike, and others are suffering!
Margaret,
I don’t honestly believe that gardening is hard on ones back if proper body mechanics are used. Many people when they garden do way too much pushing, pulling straining, improper lifting. When done right, gardening is probably very therapeutic. Me? Over the years I’ve done a lot of really dumb things to my back. It’s a wonder I can walk. But all in all, when it acts up I’m usually up and do pretty well in just a few days. Chiropractic care does help me a great deal.
I would very much love to have a Weeping Japanese Maple in my landscape or possibly even grow them for resale, however, I am not sure they will grow here in Central Florida on the Gulf. I do not see many aound here. Can you tell me if they will grow here or if it would be possible for me to grow them for resale?
Mike,
Always enjoy your vast knowledge of the landscape business. I just recently purchased 4 well known cultivars of Japanese Maples. These are 2 yr. old stock (grafted) Should I let them grow out a couple more years before I start using scions for my seedlings?
Hi Mike
Firstly I would like to say that I enjoy all your you-tube video’s. I’m learning a lot regarding starting cuttings, air layering, general gardening. I’m a new gardener, finding it hard to find time to explore one of my passions. Racing my pigeons seems to steal most of my time now, but after following your video’s I started some Snow Ball Cuttings. I live in a small town north of Toronto called Gilford, Ontario, Canada, and my question to you is, can I grow the Japaneses Maple here? I tried to find a whole sale grower, but with no luck. The other passion I have is to build a miniature town in my front yard which is really large, filled with slow growing Japanese Maples. I believe I’m in a 5a plant zone. Mike keep up your great work, and I will continue to enjoy your videos.
Thank You So Much
Mike
Mike,
If you are in zone 5 absolutely you can grow Japanese maples in your climate. I’m sure there are wholesales in your area, they’re just hard to find, which is really true even here in the U.S. Most wholesalers don’t want to be found, the people in the industry can find them easily enough, they don’t want home gardeners bothering them. That’s one of the things that I teach in my wholesale directory, how to go about contacting these folks so they don’t think you are a home owner.
Hi Mike – I have read some of your earlier blogs about taking seeds from a Japanese Maple but for the life of me I can not find seeds anywhere on my Japanese Maple – can you advise please. Pat from Ireland.
Pat,
That’s not unusual, some maples don’t seed every year, some it takes many years before they make seeds. Just go find a tree in town that has seeds on it and ask if you can have some.
I was a little surprised to hear you say that Pat should just go find a tree in town for the seeds. Wouldn’t that be true only if she was NOT planning on selling these trees, but was just going to grow them for her own garden or to give away? You have emphasized in many other places on your sites that one should not try to sell any plant/tree/shrub without the correct botanical and common name. Are there exceptions??
Judy,
There are exceptions. Seedlings are generic and will come true to the species. Japanese maple seeds will produce Japanese maples. Not any particular named variety, just Japanese maples. Dogwood seeds will produce white dogwood trees. We can bank on that. If you collect seeds from a Bloodgood Japanese maple you’ll get Japanese maple trees, not Bloodgood Japanese maple trees. In order to get the Bloodgood variety you would have to propagate them through some means of asexual reproduction like budding or grafting and if you’re really, really good, maybe cuttings.
Mike thanks for the tips for growing maples.. For your back I use ABSORBINE Veterinary Liniment Gel topical on my back and neck after a car accident and it has taken a long time to heal my disc that ruptured. It has also taken the pain out of my body. My husband uses it on his legs and feet as he has problems with his feet. It also helps for people who have problems with the knees. It is sold at the farmers co-op for @12.98 here in the horse area. Hope this helps your back, sure would be a great help.
Hello Mike, just got through looking at your video and your trees are very pretty. I have fell for these little trees but I have a big problem,I live in Arkansas zone 7 next to Oklahoma
state line on the bottom of a mountain and this time and in the winter too, the wind really blows hard here. but on your video I see were you have a lot of wind. I have been told that is why I cannot keep one of these trees living. so I plan on building a wind break around my flower garden corner. I hope this helps. what do you think? Thanks a lot Beverly
Beverly,
Japanese maples should do just fine in zone 7. Wind is hard on the leaves in the summer, but it won’t kill the tree. If yours are dying I’d look at how they are planted. They absolutely hate wet feet. They should be planted in well drained soil and planted just deep enough to barely cover the root ball. In heavy soil the root ball should be planted higher than grade and soil mounded over the root ball.
Hello Mike, just got through looking at your video and your trees are very pretty. I have fell for these little beautys. but I have a big problem,I live in Arkansas zone 7 next to Ok.state line on the bottom of a mountian. and this time and in the winter too, the wind really blows hard here. but on your video I see were you have a lot of wind. I have been told that is why I cannot keep one of these trees living. so I plan on building a wind break around my flower garden corner. I hope this helps. what do you think? Thanks a lot Beverly
Dear Mike,
As always, I enjoy reading all your posts, have to read up on the ‘Maple Tree’ posting.
I am more concerned about your back pain. You see, for almost 45 years ( I am 77 years old now), I used to garden 12 to 14 hours on any given dry day. Then about 6 years ago, I’ve noticed some ‘strange’ symptoms like cold wind blowing on my legs, yet it was a hot summer’s day with no wind. Slowly, when finishing a long day in the garden, after turning in for the night, a weird pain in my back would start, not the kind, when your muscles were overused, more right from the very ‘insight’. The pain slowly increased as my activities, sitting, standing, walking during the day, aggravated everything. My visit to the doctor resulted in an X-Ray, which showed the beginning of spinal stenosis, for which I had been treated for almost a year in 2009, when suddenly my world collapsed, as I had to have on top of it open heart surgery and 3 1/2 weekks later a radical modified mastectomy., do to a very aggressive cancer, which also came out of nowhere.Therefore, my gardening is now history. Do to the cancer drug and the stenosis, I had lost most of my mobility, but with steady acupuncture for the stenosis and Hydro Therapy for dealing with the many side effects of the cancer drug, the most I am not happy about, is the almost total loss of using both of my hands, the finger joints lock and need to be pried open, only both index fingers still work. If your back is giving you more trouble down the road, have your doctor check for spinal stenosis. There is no cure. Here in Canada, they won’t operate anymore on any ones spine, but in my case, the acupuncture has helped greatly. You are a very active man for many years and when I was told, I caused my own problem by working hard and long hours at my most precious hobby – gardening -, I almost ‘lost’ it. Now, I came to terms with not ever being able to do the things I loved, but also like to advise people like you to NOT make the same mistake as I did, not knowing the consequences later on. So, please, Mike, be very careful. Even if I can’t garden anymore, I love reading your newsletters. Good luck and hopefully no more pain.
Have a nice fall gardening week,
Christa.
Wow, I did not know there were so many different kinds of Japaneese Maples, and I loved every one of them…I am going to go and trim all my JRM’s so they look full & beautiful for my spring sales like yours do!!
I really got alot of info on this great video you & Amber filmed… Great filming Amber!
Going to save this in my BYG folder w/the other great info you provided on plants I have in my Nursery!
Thanks again Mike! I am so glad to be a lifetime member….
Barb,
You’re welcome and I’m glad to have you as a member. Stay tuned, lots of Japanese maples to be available to members soon.
Thanks for sharing. I’m glad you can’;t see my Japanese Maple because you wouldn’t like it. I have left all the branches alone. This poor little tree has been broken down by my dogs at least three times. For some reason they love to lay under it (or on it) but it has a good heart and just keeps growing in spite of them. Mine really looks Japanese! We lived there for years and the Japanese like to have branches coming off at odd angles. It makes the tree graceful and interesting.
thanks Mike i enjoyed the video. what do you grow the maples in
i noticed the rows look like different soil . how long does it take to grow to a good size to sell?
thanks lee
Lee,
My soil is quite sandy so we mulch them to hold in moisture and keep the weeds down.
Thanks for the pruning tips. I have a weeping cherry and I guess the same principles would apply.
sue, yes and you can read this as well. http://gardening-articles.com/10-prunning%20weeping%20cherry%20trees.htm
Thanks for the pointers. Enjoy your site with all the info and pictures.
Hi Mike
Love your videos. Do you ever grow potentilla?
Would be great to see how you trim them!
Joe
Joe,
Right now we are growing two kinds of potentilla and we trim them really hard in the fall. All ours in pots are not trimmed down to about 4″.
Thanks, Mike. I am going to grab my pruners and head for the garden. I have a butterfly, a lions head, a garnet, and several others that are new to me this year. I am sure they could use a little tough love.
Hi Mike,Thanks for all of your hard work,and advice.I have a question about growing cuttings.I get them to root but not grow.Is it because I dont fertilize enough?
Leslie,
Once rooted all they need is good soil. Fertilizer is really an option and can do more harm than good if you have good soil. Keep in mind, rooted cuttings only have a few roots, they need to be watered almost daily when planted out after rooting.
HELP!
Mike, my Japanese Maple tree is so overgrown and wild I don’t know where to start, can you help?
It is about 5 or 6 years old and has never been pruned because I thought it was supposed to grow upright itself,
is there any hope?
Thank you so much.
Ellen,
Of course there’s help and any pruning at all will help it a lot. Just follow the advice on this page and next year you will have a very different tree.
Hi Mike
Please consider that there are two schools of thought on trimming the weeping Japanese maples. Manicuring the tree to show off it’s natural beauty is very important and necessary I agree….However by trimming those lovely weeping waterfall trees destroys their natural beauty.:( I live in washington State where these lovely trees are allowed to grow naturally and beautifully enhance the landscapes of so many homes. Cutting off the lower weeping branches reminds me of the time my Dad got a soup-bowl haircut by a local barber and sent my Mother crying into the next room. These trees are absolutely magnificent in their natural state.
Linna,
I agree, but they still need to be trimmed so they are not sparse to the point that you can see through them. There aren’t many ornamental trees or shrubs that look better with no pruning at all. But allowing them to weep to the ground can be really nice, but still I think they need to be shaped. But it really is a personal preference.
All the trimming we do out here is prune off the bottom leaves so they’re not dragging on the ground:) These gorgeous trees kind of shape themselves and add a nice variety to the landscape. I just don’t want the poor things to look like they got a soup-bowl haircut like my dear old Dad!
Mike can you do a newsletter on mums? do all hardy mums have the same botonical (probably not spelled right) name except for the color. kinda like the “rose of sharon?”
i’m sooo glad i signed up for your “Backyard Nursery” program. i’ve already learned a lot plus i’ve got a grow box going now. it is amazing how to get roots growing on a twig from a branch of a scrub or bush.
thanks Mike you’ve already taught me much and i’m sure you ain’t done with me yet.
Clifton,
I’m not really much of an expert on mums. I’ve never grown them because they do require some regimented care and on the wholesale market they don’t bring a lot of money. At least that’s my take.
Maybe I just don’t really know how to grow them. Most that do grow them buy in unrooted cuttings, root them and then go from there. But they do have to be pinched at the right time and if you miss that window of time you end up with scary looking plants.
THERE ARE MUM CLUBS AROUND THE U.S.A. IF ONE WANTS TO KNOW IF ONE IS IN THEIR AREA AND IF THEY PRODUCE A NEWS LETTER OR HELP HAND-OUT CONTACT THE NATIONAL CHRYSANTHEMUM SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES.
THERE ARE SEVERAL OR AT LEAST THERE WERE… THE EVERGREEN CHRYSANTHEMUM ASSOCIATION IN THE SEATTLE TACOMA AREAS IS A MAJOR CLLUB THAT FEATURES THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH THE ENGLISH IN THAT THEY GROW MOSTLY ENGLISH MUMS.
Mike, this information is designated to help anyone interested and I do not wish the e-mail address to be let out. I get a bad back from hours on the computer deleting spam and unwanted messages for $$$from politician or the like. 100%Disable Vet.
Hi Mike
thankyou for the informative video on trimming Japanese maples
it is much appreciated…
You and your wife have done such a beautiful job landscaping your front yard! Gorgeous!
Our front yard is very hot in the summer, and I have planted a couple of japanese maples that have died…. do you have any recommendations on which japanese maples do better in hot sun than others?
Louise,
Sun is really hard on all Japanese maples, but the more mature they are the better they hold up. You don’t say where you are, but if you planted them where they’d get at least some shade at some point in the day that would help a lot. Here’s a list of the ones that do better than others in warm climates. http://japanesemaplelovers.com/growing-japanese-maples-in-hot-climates/
Great Job on video, Japanese Maples, being trimmed. You guys got me motivated, to do the same.
I have several approx. 8 large, in our yard. My Bloodgood and Japanese Upright Imperials seeding are doing great approx. 80-90 plants. Can’t wait to get these planted in containers as well. Beautiful fall foliage is on the way, Sangu Kaku’ Coral Bark Maple and well as the other green Japanese Maple trees. Planted to view from kitchen window. Thanks again, I always enjoy your thoughts and inside on plants.
Boyd
LOved this video, learned a whole new concept from it. Would you consider making a video giving correct pronunciation of the names? I appear to have been calling them wrongly, LOL.
Tim,
I’d love to do that but I’m not so sure I pronounce them all correctly. When I worked in the industry with others that was the best way to learn. But I really haven’t been in that environment in almost 40 years. There are some programs online that give you the correct pronunciation.
http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=chandra
this site gives the pronounciation of words: http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=chandra
Thanks, Mike. Good video. Makes me want to grab my pruners and run over to the church where the Japanese Maple is running wild!
Looks like you have lost even more weight. You look so much younger!!! When I have back problems, I stretch out on an exercise mat and do leg lifts. Sometimes I put a beach ball between my knees and lift all together. Another thing that helps is an exercise machine that uses the arms called a UBE machine. Strengthens the back muscles.
If it gets too bad try crutches for a few minutes, or put a bar in a doorway and hang from it. Pulls the vertebrae apart and releases the back muscle cramp.
Charline,
I was pretty much hanging on a walker earlier today, but the leg lifts were out of the question. I couldn’t even reach out with my arms. It’s a little better tonight, should be okay in a few days. I’ve been through it many times.
Thanks Mike. Beautiful trees. Enjoy your site.
Thanks Mike….will try to follow your instructions.
Thanx for the great tips on pruning Japanese maples, Mike! Now what do you do to “correct” the poor/no pruning on a Crimson Queen? Can it be done or do I have to live with it? Mine is in a huge pot, and about 8 yrs old. I got my advice about maintaining them from the same person who performs Crape Murder every year!! AGH! ( no, I do not chop MY Crape Myrtles now! Lol!) so, I really need some GOOD advice that I can trust, and you are the Go-To person for that!! 🙂 thanx!!!
Lee,
Really you can trim that crimson queen as much as needed right now. If that means removing a lot of branches it will take it a few months next year to fill in, but it will fill in.