A Care Guide For Your Japanese Maple Bonsai
One of the most popular trees used for bonsai is the Japanese Maple, whose botanical name is Acer palmatum. Bonsai enthusiasts enjoy this tree for it's delicate leaves, it's natural smaller size, but mainly for it's beautiful fall colors. This maple is native to Japan and China. The five lobes of the Japanese Maple tree's leaves make it look somewhat like the human hand, and is the source of it's botanical name. The Acer palmatum includes the red, green, lace-leaf, and thread-leaf varieties. The red varieties are the most popular to use for bonsai.
How to Water the Japanese Maple
Beginning in the springtime, when you first see signs of new growth, you will need to start watering your Japanese maple bonsai on a regular basis, and continue doing so until late fall when the tree has dropped it's last leaves. Japanese maples like moist soil, so you will need to be vigilant in checking the moisture level in the soil to maintain the optimum level of moisture. Your Japanese Maple will quickly die if the soil is allowed to completely dry out. Try to water it in the morning, and then check it later in the day to make sure it is still somewhat moist. Over-watering can be a problem too. Make sure your bonsai pot has adequate drainage holes and that all excess water drains from the pot. If the water does not drain thoroughly the trees roots will sit in water and develop root rot.
Placement and Sunlight
With optimal levels of sunlight your Japanese Maple will produce denser foliage and display more intense fall colors. Avoid burning the sensiteve and delicate leaves of your Japanese Maple by providing it with sufficient protection from the intense mid-day sun. The ideal location for your Japanese maple bonsai is in a place where it will be able to receive direct early morning and evening sun, but that is protected from being in direct sunlight during the middle of the day when the sun's rays are the most intense, and is the hottest part of the day. Maple tree leaves can burn when they are exposed to the mid-day sun. In the spring when your tree is beginning to put out its leaves, and the mid-day sun is less intense, you should give your plant full sun all day long. "Wind burn" can result from unprotected exposure to hot, dry summer winds that will strip you plant's leaves of important moisture, so take care to protect your tree from these winds too. Make sure that you keep your Japanese Maple out of direct sun and wind during the 2 weeks following any root pruning and re-potting. The roots are unable to furnish enough moisture to the leaves during this time.
Japanese maples, while being hardy, should be placed in an area that is protected from cold and harsh winter winds also. Winter winds can also be damaging to to your Japanese Maple, even though they are dormant and have no leaves, so keep them soewhere where they will be sheltered.
Humidity
Your Japanese Maple will thrive in a humid environment. Humidity can be increased by filling a shallow container with small stones, and then covering the stones with water, and then placing your bonsai pot on top of the stones. Make sure your bonsai pot is not actually sitting in the water. The humidity level is increased as the water evaporates from the shallow container. Additional humidity slows down the water loss from the trees leaves, a process called transpiration. Another way to increase the humidity level and reduce the transpiration of water from the leaves is to give your bonsai a frequent spraying with a fine mist.
Fertilizing Your Japanese Maple
Feeding your Japanese maple bonsai should occur every two to three weeks with a slow-release high nitrogen organic fertilizer beginning in the spring as soon as leaf buds begin to open, and continuing through the fall. Natural fertilizers such as fish emulsion is a good choice. If you're using a chemical fertilizer make sure that you only use a half strength solution. A balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer is recommended. You should stop fertilizing your bonsai tree during the hottest weeks of the summer to avoid any possible damage. In mid-autumn you should switch to a low nitrogen fertilizer. This will help harden off the current seasons new growth in preparation for winter.
If you have repotted and done some spring root pruning then do not feed during the two months following repotting when a tree is weakened or you could cause root damage.
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