HelpfulGardener.com

Hi all
I just bought a young japanese maple tree and I hace some questions.
can I plant it in the ground or should I plant it into a larger pot for now?
How deep should I plant the tree?


I have clay soil can I replace that soil with some good bag soil for the hole?
What kind of fertilizer should I use?
Is part sun part shade okay?
How much water does it need?
sorry for so many questions and thank you in advaced for all your answers, god bless you all and happy gardening. Japanese maples are very beautiful.

Hi one,

can I plant it in the ground or should I plant it into a larger pot for now?
Whatever you like, but in the ground is better and safer for sure.

How deep should I plant the tree?
The top of the soil as in the container should be at surface level, perhaps 1 or 2 cm (1/2 inch) lower (I.e. extra soil on top, but never to much.) Don't bury the trunk.

I have clay soil can I replace that soil with some good bag soil for the hole?
Yes.

What kind of fertilizer should I use?
Organic but you do not need that right away.


Is part sun part shade okay?
Yes, never to much sun.

How much water does it need?
The soil should be kept moist.

Enjoy,

Mulching is the key to a healthy Japanese maple. Put a plastic layer on top of the soil around the trunk with a diameter of around 50/60 cm. Keep it in place with some gravel or small light stones (sunreflection upwards). Never water the maple again and keep the surrounding soil moist. This works wonders! I have 8 Japanese maples in my small japanese garden and they grow like never before. I used to water them a lot in summer (burning leaves) and know now (after watching John Gerathy's video '' growing Japanese maples'' that mulcing is what you have to do.