The red maple (Acer rubrum) is an impressive solitary tree with beautiful foliage. He skilfully sets the scene, especially in autumn. A red maple tree does not make any special demands on care.

In a nutshell

  • Red maple tree tolerates heat and drought well
  • is considered a climate tree and a sustainable woody plant
  • Soil conditions and mistakes in fertilizing can affect leaf coloration
  • the most beautiful coloring in the right place

Characteristics

  • Plant family: Soapberry family (Sapindales)
  • Botanical name: Acer rubrum
  • German names: red maple, red maple tree, Canadian red maple
  • Growth: loose, upright, conical
  • Growth height: 1000-1500 cm
  • Foliage: dark green, deciduous
  • Flowers: simple, red, in clusters, before leaves shoot
  • Flowering time: March to April
  • Fruits: red-brown nuts
  • Toxicity: non-toxic
  • Lime tolerance: Lime tolerant

site conditions

Acer rubrum wants a wind-protected and sunny to shady spot. The sunnier, the more magnificent the autumn colors. Nevertheless, it should not be exposed to the blazing midday sun in summer. At best, it stands alone, for example in the middle of a lawn. Even cold locations with an easterly wind cannot harm it. In principle, this maple can also cope with partially shaded places, but then at the expense of flowering and leaf colouring.

Tip: When choosing the location, one should also consider the rapid increase in height and width, as well as the final size of the maple tree. It is best to leave about ten meters around the tree.

soil condition

The demands on the nature of the soil are somewhat less demanding. This maple tolerates almost any good garden soil that is rich in nutrients and humus, deep, low in lime and fresh to moist. It can be sandy to loamy and neutral to acidic. What he doesn't like are compacted, waterlogged, permanently dry and heavy subsoil.

planting

The best time for planting is in the spring after the ice saints. Specimens in containers can be planted all year round, as long as the ground is not frozen and temperatures do not exceed thirty degrees.

  • first dig a sufficiently large planting hole
  • at least twice as deep and wide as the root ball
  • Loosen the soil in the planting hole well
  • Mix the excavated soil with about one third of the compost
  • Take the plant out of the pot
  • place in the center of the planting hole
  • Straighten the tree
  • fill up with excavated earth, compact the earth
  • Drive in three support posts at a distance of 30 cm from the trunk
  • connect with coconut rope to protect against strong winds
  • Finally, water the planting area thoroughly
  • Pouring rim can prevent drainage of the irrigation water

Notice: Red maple trees that are four or five years old should not be replanted if possible. Better to think about the right location before planting.

Needs-based care

To ensure that your red maple tree grows and thrives magnificently, you should follow a few tips.

pour

Watering is an important part of care. Young trees should be watered regularly in the first few years as soon as the top layer of soil has dried. Ideally, the root area should always be moist, but not wet. Older trees usually only need to be watered in summer, during longer dry periods. Potted plants need more and more frequent water, here the bale dries out much faster.

Fertilize

This maple is one of the heavy feeders. As a result, young trees in particular need sufficient nutrients. Organic fertilizers such as compost, horn shavings or plant manure are best suited. They provide the tree with all the important nutrients for months, as they only release them slowly to the plant. A dose in the spring is usually sufficient. With nutrient-rich soils, you no longer have to fertilize after the second or third year. In nutrient-poor areas, two fertilizer applications per year are recommended, the first in early spring and the second in June/July.

Notice: Mineral fertilizers are not recommended. They are generally too rich in nutrients, especially too nitrogenous, which increases the susceptibility to fungal infections.

To cut

Red maple should be pruned as little as possible because it tends to bleed. In addition, pathogens can penetrate through cuts and weaken the tree. You should only prune if there is disease or parts of the tree have died.

  • Pruning measures only in spring
  • wait for the frost-free phase
  • only with sufficiently sharp and disinfected cutting tools
  • do not cut into the old wood
  • always a few centimeters in front of an eye or a bud
  • here the maple is sprouting again
  • Do not cut branches and twigs directly at the base
  • leave little stubs
  • they gradually dry up
  • Treat cuts and broken branches with wound closure material
  • Gloves are not required, red maple is non-toxic

hibernate

Acer rubrum has good winter hardiness. This is especially true for older trees. Young plants and specimens kept in tubs are more sensitive. Both require appropriate protection. As early as autumn, the newly planted buds are protected from freezing with a fleece. When potted plants overwinter, the root area must also be protected. To do this, place it in a protected place and wrap it with jute, fleece or similar insulating materials.

propagation

About cuttings

  • from late spring to early summer
  • Cut 15-20 cm long semi-lignified cuttings
  • of non-flowering shoots
  • remove lower leaves
  • Leave the top two pairs of leaves at most
  • fill small pots with potting soil
  • one cutting per pot
  • stick about two-thirds into the substrate
  • Press and moisten the soil
  • Cover pots and cuttings with cling film
  • place in a warm, partially shaded place
  • plant out after complete rooting

By sowing

A red maple tree can be propagated by sowing, among other things, which is a bit more complex than propagating cuttings. However, the easiest way is to use seed from a maple tree that you already have. They are ripe around the beginning of June. Before sowing, they must be stratified to remove the natural germination inhibition.

Of course you can also use the seeds of your own red maple tree to propagate.
  • Soak seeds in warm water for 24 hours
  • then put in plastic bag with wet sand or lava granules
  • Close the bag tightly
  • in the refrigerator at two to five degrees for eight to twelve weeks
  • then sow in small pots with potting soil or coconut substrate
  • about an inch deep
  • Moisten the substrate and keep it evenly moist
  • place in a warm, partially shaded place
  • Germination period approx. three to six weeks

Seeds and seedlings are particularly susceptible to diseases and pests. It is therefore advisable to sterilize the potting soil in the oven for about 30 minutes at 150-180 degrees. After cooling it can be used.

Note: The seeds of this tree not only need cold to germinate, but also a certain water content. It is therefore advisable to let them pre-swell before stratifying.

Diseases

mildew

Signs of an infestation are initially a mealy coating on the leaves and later black-brown discolouration. Affected leaves die off. In the early stages and with smaller trees, however, a mixture of milk and water for spraying can be helpful. If the infestation is advanced or the tree is too large, fungicides with a depot effect can be used.

Verticillium wilt

This fungal disease usually occurs in spring, when the first heat wave hits. First, it appears on parts of the crown or individual shoots. Recognizable by the conspicuously small, dried-up leaves, light leaf color or already dead twigs. The disease can sometimes drag on for years. There are no ways to combat it. The only way to try to stop them or to avert the worst is to cut back the affected parts of the tree down to the healthy wood and dispose of the clippings accordingly.

pests

aphids

Mostly they are black aphids. They cause discoloration on the leaves, which then stun or die. To combat it, you can spray the wood with soapy water or neem products and use additional beneficial insects.

scale insects

A red maple tree can be infested by the woolly scale insect. However, you can recognize them by their small, brown, convex shields. Most of the time, these trees tolerate scale insect infestation quite well, so that there is no need to fight them.

gall mites

The sucking activity of the mites results in so-called plant galls, knot- or horn-shaped bulges on the leaves, some of which are conspicuously colored. However, control is usually not required.

frequently asked Questions

Can Red Maple be planted near paved areas?

This is not recommended because this maple is shallow-rooted. Its root system could quickly root through the pavement and lift or push it away. A distance of at least five meters is advisable, also to walls.

Why does the red maple turn green?

Greening can have different causes. Be it an unfavorable place, a wrong pH value of the soil or too nitrogenous fertilization. To prevent this, you should ensure the best possible site conditions and need-based fertilization when planting.

How often should a red maple tree be repotted in a pot?

Up to the age of ten years you repot every two years, older specimens only every five to six years.

Category:

Garden plants