How to care for an acer palmatum
The editor answers your questions about how to care for an acer palmatum and explains the planting methods of this plant. Let's follow the editor and take a look at the specific content!
Acer palmatum is not only a medicinal plant that can invigorate qi and relieve pain, and remove toxins and reduce swelling, but it is also an ornamental plant with a beautiful appearance. Placed in the home, especially against a white wall background, it is even more captivating. How should we cultivate acer palmatum? What conditions are needed? Let's now discuss the cultivation techniques of acer palmatum.
I. What is acer palmatum?
Also known as chicken claw maple or green maple, it belongs to the Aceraceae family, Acer genus. It can grow to a height of 6-10 meters. The bark is dark gray, the leaves are papery, the base is heart-shaped or nearly heart-shaped, 5-9 palmately lobed, usually 7 lobes, the lobes are oblong-oval or lanceolate, the splits are deep up to half or one-third of the leaf diameter. The flowers are purple, in corymbose panicles at the top of the stem. The samaras are purplish red when young and light brownish yellow when mature, with small spherical nuts. The flowering period is May, and the fruiting period is September. It is slightly sun-loving, prefers a well-shaded environment, is afraid of direct sunlight in summer, has strong cold resistance, can tolerate relatively dry climatic conditions, and prefers warm and humid climates and fertile, moist, and well-drained soils. Distributed in Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and other provinces. It is also found in North Korea and Japan.
II. Key Points of Cultivation Techniques
1. Soil
Grows at altitudes of 200-1200 meters on the edges of forests or in sparse forests. It prefers a shaded environment, is afraid of direct sunlight in summer, has strong cold resistance, can tolerate relatively dry climatic conditions, and often grows in moist valleys on the shady slopes, is tolerant to acids and bases, does not tolerate waterlogging, and grows poorly in places exposed to west sunlight and damp winds. It requires moist and humus-rich soil.
2. Temperature
Acer palmatum is a slightly sun-loving tree species that can tolerate semi-shade and is prone to sunburn when planted alone in direct sunlight in summer. It prefers warm and humid climates and fertile, moist, and well-drained soils, has strong cold resistance, and can adapt to acidic, neutral, and lime soils. Its growth rate is moderately slow.
It prefers a warm climate and grows well in semi-shaded environments, requiring loose and fertile soil. It does not tolerate waterlogging, is somewhat drought-resistant, and grows poorly in places exposed to direct sunlight and damp winds.
It likes light but avoids west-facing light, which can burn the leaves and cause poor growth. It is somewhat shade-tolerant and grows well under the shade of large trees. It has strong resistance to sulfur dioxide and dust.
3. Propagation
Propagation is usually done by seed or grafting.
(1) Seed propagation: Harvest seeds in October when they are ripe and can be sown immediately, or stratify with moist sand until the following February or March for spring sowing. Sow in rows, 15-20 cm apart, with an acre播种量 of 4-5 kg. After sowing, cover with 1-2 cm of soil, water thoroughly, cover with straw, and remove the mulch after seedlings emerge. Seedlings are sensitive to sunlight and need appropriate shading. One-year-old seedlings can reach a height of 30-50 cm.
(2) Grafting propagation: Grafting can be done using methods such as approach grafting and cleft grafting. The rootstock is usually 2-3-year-old Acer palmatum seedlings with a ground diameter of 1-1.5 cm. Grafting is done from mid-March to early April before the sap flow starts. Cut the scion branches into lengths of 6-7 cm with 2 plump buds at the top, dip them quickly in molten paraffin wax to coat the surface with a thin layer of wax, then place them in a plastic bag and store them in a moist, low-temperature place. Grafting is done before the rootstock sprouts. The graft union usually heals after 25-30 days, and it is important to remove any sprouts from the rootstock, untie the binding in time, and re-tie or apply soil to prevent wind damage, then strengthen fertilization and water management.
III. Disease and Pest Control
Prevention is the primary approach. Spray with metalaxyl or dimethomorph or Amikar emulsion + Ningnanmycin + Abamectin + beta-cyfluthrin or chlorpyrifos or acetamiprid + organosilicon 3000 times liquid. Apply every 15-20 days when there are no diseases, and every 5-7 days when the disease is severe. Alternate the use of chemicals.
Common pests of Acer palmatum include grubs, mole crickets, beetles, caterpillars, aphids, longicorn beetles, and borers.
Control of grubs and mole crickets: These underground pests can chew on the roots and stems of seedlings, causing them to wither and die. You can use 50% phoxim emulsion or 48% diafenthiuron emulsion diluted 1000 times, mixed with fine soil and applied as a soil drench or broadcast.
Control of beetles, caterpillars, and aphids: These pests that feed on branches and leaves, such as beetles, caterpillars, aphids, and red spiders, can cause poor growth of seedlings. You can use abamectin, Captan, or dimethoate diluted 800-1000 times for spraying. Control of longicorn beetles and borers: These boring pests can damage the branches and trunks of Acer palmatum, causing枯枝 or even the death of large seedlings. You can use cypermethrin, Green功夫, and other pesticides diluted 2000-3000 times for spraying, or inject pesticides like dichlorvos into the pest tunnels and seal the openings with sticky mud.
IV. Pruning and Shaping
The tree shape of Acer palmatum is mainly a natural round shape with a central trunk. When pruning, focus on creating an elegant canopy to fully showcase the natural beauty and cultivate a full canopy. When the seedlings reach a height of 1.2-1.5 meters, cut the trunk at 1.0-1.2 meters. Remove all unnecessary buds from the bottom and cultivate for one year. In the dormant season, cut the current year's branches to a length of 30 cm to control their growth direction, combined with some thinning to remove vertical, crossing, and diseased branches. In the second year, when the new shoots are half-lignified, pinch the tips at 30 cm, and in May to June and October to November, remove the suckers from the rootstock and thin out dense branches on the trunk to make the canopy full, compact, and with evenly distributed branches, without any crown bias or missing branches.
This article shares specific introductions on how to care for an acer palmatum and its planting methods for reference by netizens.