Maple is red. Decorative red maple

Japanese maples are deciduous shrubs and trees adorning the gardens, patios, terraces and flower beds around the world. The red foliage looks attractive, the decorative appearance of plants with a purple, orange, maroon crown is appreciated by landscape design professionals and amateur gardeners. Japanese maple (red) is a call to the author of the phrase "green plantations" that is full of nausea. Unusual coloring of elegant leaves appeared as a result of natural processes and painstaking work of breeders.

Maple with red leaves and openwork crown

Its spectacular form of Japanese maple acquired through a complex biochemical composition. From the school bench, many know about chlorophyll, which gives the leaves a green color. In addition to this pigment, there are carotenoids in the plants, their presence is caused by red, yellow and orange coloration. Violet, brown, orange and red shades of foliage are caused by the accumulation of anthocyanins in the cell sap. Beautifully shaped leaf blades can be painted in purple and carmine tones, in harmony with the gray shade of the bark. The crown of trees is usually round, occurs in the shape of an oval or mushroom cap. Scattered leaves of red maples from afar are similar to lace. Inflorescences, fruits, even cortical patterns - the entire above-ground part looks very decorative. In the autumn, the leaves get brighter shades, and fall for the winter. But the plant continues to please the look with the grace of thin branches, an unusual crown.

Decorative red maple

The plant belongs to the family Sapinda (Latin Sapindaceae), belongs to the genus Maple. Homeland - the forests of Southeast Asia. The variety of small forms of Japanese maples is surprising, in the Land of the Rising Sun they have been created for centuries. Now in many countries breeders are engaged in breeding new cultivars of a popular ornamental plant. Brightly and elegantly look varieties of maples, belonging to three types:

• Maple is glandular or fan-shaped (Acer palmatum);
• Maple Japanese Red (Acer japonicum);
• The map of Shirasawa (Acer shirasawanum).

In summer, in the gardens and on the terraces attracts the attention of the golden foliage of the map of Shirasawa, in the fall it becomes bright orange. Dutch varieties of fan maple in spring are covered with glossy dark red leaves, which before the fall color change to orange-red. The openwork crown acquires bright shades under good sunlight or in partial shade.

Plain maple (fan-shaped)

The compact fan-sized red maple shows a wealth of shades of purple, orange and pink. The native land of this species is forests of Japan, East China and Korea. In natural conditions, trees reach a height of 8-10 m. The crone with age becomes round or mushroom-shaped. Young shoots of the plant are covered with colored skin. In the spring, the leaves become red, in the summer they grow green in some cultivars, they become purple in autumn. Flowers are collected in bright loose inflorescences. The shape of the lionfish varies greatly for different varieties of fan maple. The plant is thermophilic, demanding soil fertility and moisture, but excess water does not tolerate. Temperatures below -15 ° C lead to damage to the root system. Propagate the species with seeds that can be sown immediately after harvesting. Common forms of the maple-like maple are pink-fringed, scarlet, purple, and others.

Planting of red maple

Trees with red leaves look good singly in groups. When planting, the distance between the plants should be kept at 1.5-3.5 m. For the seedlings, a pit of 50-70 cm depth is prepared. In the marshy area it is necessary to take care of good drainage (sand, crushed stone, construction waste). Saplings of red maple are placed in a hollow with a loose layer on the bottom. Fill the landing pit with half water and fill it with a substrate that is mixed with a full mineral fertilizer. There are new varieties not exceeding 1.5 m in height, they can grow in containers. Pots for planting should be chosen ceramic or plastic in Japanese style. Red maple prefers loose, rich in humus substrates, does not like waterlogging. The soil for containers is mixed with compost in a ratio of 1: 1 or is prepared from equal parts of turf ground and peat, add sand.

Caring for Japanese Maple

Red maples do not require radical pruning, but must remove sick and dry branches. In the spring, care consists in replacing the top compost layer with fresh, pre-enriched fertilizers. The mixture is prepared from 40 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate and 25 g of potassium salt. The trunks can be covered with mulch to preserve moisture and protect against crusting. Watering in summer must be combined with fertilizing and loosening. Maple red carries a lack of moisture, but loses its decorative effect. The regime of irrigation should be adjusted depending on the climate of the terrain and weather conditions. Winter hardiness largely depends on the species, variety and age of plants. In autumn, the roots of young trees and bushes on the site should be insulated with dry leaves, and the containers should be brought into the premises.

Diseases and pests

A maple, whose red leaves are pleasing to the eye, may suffer from powdery mildew, coral spotting. Damaged phytoparasites shoots should be removed, place cuts with garden saver and disinfect tools. Before bud blossoming, it is possible to perform treatment with copper sulfate, pollinate sulfur. Saplings and shrubs are attacked by phytophagous: maple whitefly, mealybug, leaf weevil. Spray at the stage of feeding larvae with the drug "Actellik", in the autumn they collect and destroy dry leaves.

Reproduction of red maple

Autumn cuttings for vegetative reproduction cuttings (20 cm). For the winter they are buried, and in spring they are rooted in containers or pots. Fill containers with light soil, necessarily mixed with sand. In the spring, buds or cuttings of ornamental cultivars are planted for more winter-hardy and fast-growing varieties of the same species (or closely related). Seedlings are collected for larvae and planted in autumn in the soil. But it is better to create conditions that resemble stratification in nature, which occurs in the winter at a temperature of about 3 ° C. In spring, the seeds are soaked before sowing, and when they are planted, they are sown in the garden to a depth of 4 cm. In summer, the seedlings need to be shaded in the heat. Saplings that have reached 50-80 cm can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Red maple in the garden

Maple red is a hardy plant, but vulnerable to direct sunlight, drafts. Suffered from adverse conditions, trees and bushes can prematurely discard leaves. The branches and roots are damaged by frost if the temperature falls below -15 ° C. The maples do not like open areas facing south. The ideal place for them - protected from the wind, with mosaic lighting. All cultivars are suitable for the garden in the Asian style, landscaping of the patio and front garden. The umbrella crown creates a shadow in the corners of rest and on the paths of the garden, contrasts with the bright green of the evergreen hedge, plants typical of the middle band. Original shrubs and trees can be used in stony gardens, they are in harmony with dark coniferous species. Rapidly growing varieties of palm and fan maple reach a height of 4-5 m. Under the crown of these red trees you can plant perennial flowers that do not require good lighting.