From the Land of the Rising Sun
Notes from the Bullpen: April 2009 – The Japanese culture has given the world many things throughout the centuries: sushi, cars, bullet trains, electronics, bonsai and many other things too numerous to mention. One of the biggest contributions from the Japanese has been their love of garden plants and a keen eye for plant selection. Many genera: Camellia, Prunus, Pyrus, Azalea, Citrus, Aspidistra, and Pinus have been the object of Japanese breeding and selection. Gardening in Japan has a very long history and is a micro-sized mirror image of the native landscapes of the Japanese Islands, where rocks, water and plants combine in unity. Even miniature bonsai specimens reflect on the beauty and complexity of the natural world.
Perhaps the most well known of Japanese plants are the maples, no garden small or large is complete without a Japanese Maple! It is estimated that there were over 200 named cultivars of Japanese maples in Japan at the beginning of the 19th century, however, many of these old varieties were lost during the bombing raids of World War II or were used as firewood for cooking and heating in the aftermath of the war. Many cultivars survived in other countries and became the breeding stock of many of the selections we have today. Today there are close to 400 named cultivars and many more that are unnamed seedlings and or sports of named varieties.
Grouping Cultivars: Cultivars of Japanese maples are grouped both by leaf form and the ultimate height of a mature plant in the case of dwarf cultivars. Seven groups have been recognized, but the most common groups are the Palmatum group and the Dissectum group. The Palmatum group is a typical maple star-shaped leaf that we often associate with Japanese maples; the Dissectum group is what many people recognize as the "lace-leaf" types where the leaves are deeply divided and threadlike. All of the maples Creekside is currently growing belong to one of these two groups.
Culture: While many people believe that Japanese maples are delicate, finicky and hard to grow, however, nothing could be farther from the truth. Japanese maples are very low maintenance if a few cultural issues are addressed properly. The first is sunlight exposure, Japanese maples do not like hot afternoon sun, but need some direct sun to bring out leaf color and maintain vigor. In my gardening experiences in Texas I find an east exposure is best followed by a northeast, do not plant maples on a west or southwest exposure unless they are in the filtered shade of a over story tree. The second cultural condition is related to moisture and soil temperatures. Japanese maples love even moisture and cool soil temperatures. I know what you are thinking, we live in Texas! Droughts and floods followed by baking heat and freezing cold....Yeah I know!! Lets go back to exposure for a minute, with east and northeast exposures the soil stays evenly moist and cooler than west and southwest exposures, next add a 1-2" layer of mulch each year in the spring 1-2' outside the drip line of the canopy to reduce evaporation and cool the roots. Watch the soil moisture during the summer and in times of drought, and try to water in the cooler times of the day. I have about fifteen cultivars in my garden in the Hockley/Magnolia area and my garden is on a sandy, very dry, windy hill, all are thriving and doing well no leaf scorch and great leaf color! Follow the recipe it works.
Pruning of Japanese maples is only needed to remove dead wood or to maintain shape, very little pruning needed. Japanese maples also do not require high fertility rates but will respond to regular feeding (½ cup 3-1-2 fertilizer 2 times/year March/September). I have been growing maples in Southeast Texas for fifteen years and at one time had over one hundred cultivars, some do better than others, and a few actually do well in our heat and humidity! Let's take a look at some of the better cultivars for Texas.
Japanese Maple Cultivars for Texas: Red Emperor/Emperor I Group: Palmatum Leaf Color: Red Form: Upright spreading crown, vigorous Other: This cultivar is the new and improved ‘Bloodgood' is more heat tolerant and maintains better red coloration.
Sango-kaku (Coral Tower) Group: Palamtum Leaf Color: Green/ Fall Orange and Yellow Form: Upright spreading crown, very vigorous Other: Known as the Coral Bark Maple because the bark is a reddish-coral in the winter months very heat tolerant and great fall color.
Seiryu (Blue-green Dragon) Group: Dissectum Leaf Color: Green lace-leaf/ Fall Orange and Yellow Form: Upright narrow very vigorous Other: Most dissectums are weepers this on grows upright, very sun and heat tolerant, very fine texture, great fall color.
Tamuke yama (Fuzzy ball on a Steep Hill) Group: Dissectum Leaf Color: Red lace-leaf/ Fall Reddish Orange Form: Mounding, Cascading Dwarf Other: Tamuke yama is the best red dissectum cultivar I have grown far better than ‘Crimson Queen' or ‘Garnet' the industry standards.
Waterfall Group: Dissectum Leaf Color: Green lace-leaf/fall gold with crimson tinges Form: Mounding, Cascading Dwarf Other: Branches cascade very strongly good heat tolerance and great fall color, ‘Green Hornet' very similar but with red fall color.
