Inaba Shidare Japanese Maple

After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Inaba shidare Japanese Maple a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks.

Feeding your plants is probably the single most forgotten part of growing healthy long lasting plants. When first planting we recommend Bio-tone by espoma.

Maintaining a constant low level of fertility will keep your trees healthy throughout the year. Applying high levels of nitrogen (N) is not recommended. Avoid using high Nitrogen lawn fertilizer on Japanese maples. Japanese maples look best and develop thicker stems when allowed to grow at a slower speed. Applying high amounts of nitrogen will cause excessively fast growth that will weaken the plant. Weak branches can lead to damage if you are located where icing during winter is a problem. Fertilizing your Japanese maple with the proper type of fertilizer should be done either in late winter while the ground is still cold (frozen?), or after the last freeze in spring. I recommend using a slow or controlled release type fertilizer. When using a slow-release pellet-type fertilizer, it is best to bore holes about 6 inches deep into the soil about half way between the main trunk and the drip line of the branches. IMPORTANT: Scattering slow-release fertilizer on the top of the soil does not allow the fertilizer to maintain a constant moisture level inside the pellet, resulting in sporadic and possibly untimely releases. Bore several holes around the tree and divide the proper amount of fertilizer recommended by the manufacturer by the number of holes. Drop the fertilizer into the holes and fill the remainder of the holes with soil. Water around the tree and now the tree is fertilized for an entire year. As the tree grows, the amount of fertilizer will need to be increased. Tree fertilizer spikes also work well and are easy to use. Follow recommended rates based on the tree size.

Important Note: we only recommend using liquid type fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® on Japanese maples during the first summer, and only to help establish the tree. Once you see good growth you can stop liquid feeding. Do not liquid feed in late fall or early spring. Liquid fertilizers encourage Japanese maples to grow instantly, and this is not recommended as early freezes in fall and late freezes in spring will cause damage or kill your tree. We recommend Espoma Tree-tone as a balanced organic fertilizer.

We highly recommend that you mulch your Inaba shidare Japanese Maple with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. Its better to leave a one inch gap of space between the mulch and the stem or trunk of the plant.

Japanese maples such as Inaba shidare Japanese Maple are not especially particular as to when they are pruned; however, spring is generally not a good time as new growth and sap are beginning to develop. Winter and summer are commonly accepted as good times to prune. The winter is probably the best time as it is easy to see the branches and growing structure of the tree. Summer, on the other hand, allows for a more accurate gauge of which branches need to be thinned. It is important to be careful of the temperature when pruning in the summer, however. Removing thicker areas of foliage can reveal previously shaded areas and invite scalding by the sun.

Pruning the upright Japanese maple involves four main steps. The first is to prune off lower limbs that crowd other low-growing shrubs or possibly impede a walkway. Next, prune off dead wood — that is, any dead twigs or brittle branches that no longer grow foliage. The third step is to separate the tree into layers. Remove branches that intrude into the layers above and below them. The final step is to evenly thin the branches. Remove some small lateral branches and keep others for an overall thinned out look. The ideal appearance is to have fewer branches that fill all the empty spaces.

Lace leaf Japanese maples such as Inaba shidare Japanese Maple are slightly more complicated than their upright cousins. Gardeners often fall into two camps with these trees. The first camp refuses to prune the trees at all, resulting in a great ball of foliage. Gardeners belonging to the second group tend to prune too much and end up with very little. The truth falls somewhere in between. It is important to preserve this tree’s natural harmony and facilitate a shell-like growth.

Start with pruning dead wood and cutting back any dragging or low branches. Avoid pruning thicker branches that are more than half the diameter of the trunk. Remove branches that do not conform to the aesthetic appearance of the tree. Branches that do not curve or divide can be pruned. As with the upright trees, separate the layers and remove branches that do not naturally follow the pattern. Thin the lace leaf trees similarly to the upright trees. The final step is to create a veiled top layer; a curtain that shields the rest of the foliage but has a uniform look is ideal.

It is best to prune Inaba shidare Japanese Maple in the late spring or early summer when temperatures are below 80 degrees Fahrenheit.