How to care for Acer palmatum seedlings
Introduction: This article provides experience on how to care for Acer palmatum seedlings and the cultivation techniques of Acer palmatum trees. Keep reading to learn more!
Acer palmatum is not only a medicinal plant that can invigorate the qi and relieve pain, as well as detoxify and reduce swelling, for conditions like qi stagnation, abdominal pain, carbuncles, and back boils. 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 required? Let's discuss the cultivation techniques of Acer palmatum.
I. What is Acer palmatum?
Also known as Chicken Foot Maple or Green Maple, it belongs to the Aceraceae family, Acer genus. It grows 6-10 meters tall. 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-ovate or lanceolate, the clefts reach 1/2 or 1/3 of the leaf diameter. The flowers are purple, with corymbs terminal. The samaras are purplish red when young and light brownish yellow when mature, with spherical small nuts. The flowering period is May, and the fruiting period is September. It prefers slightly sunny conditions, enjoys a 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 with fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. Distributed in Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou and other provinces. It is also found in 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, often grows in moist valleys on the shady slopes, is tolerant to acids and alkalis, does not tolerate waterlogging, grows poorly in areas exposed to western sunlight and damp winds. It requires moist and humus-rich soil.
2. Temperature
Acer palmatum is a slightly sunny tree species, tolerant to semi-shade, easily suffer sunburn when planted alone in direct sunlight in summer; it prefers warm and humid climates and fertile, moist, and well-drained soil, has strong cold resistance, and can adapt to acidic, neutral, and calcareous soils. Its growth rate is moderately slow.
It prefers a warm climate, suitable for semi-shaded environments, and requires loose and fertile soil. It does not tolerate waterlogging and is relatively drought-tolerant, growing poorly in areas exposed to direct sunlight and damp winds.
It prefers light, dislikes western sunlight, which can burn the leaves and cause poor growth. It is relatively shade-tolerant and grows well under the shade of large trees. It has strong resistance to sulfur dioxide and dust.
3. Seed Sowing
Usually propagated by播种 (seed sowing) and grafting.
(1) Seed Sowing: Harvest seeds in October when they are mature and sow them immediately, or stratify with moist sand until the following February or March for spring sowing. Sow in rows with a spacing of 15-20 cm, with an acreage sowing rate 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 require appropriate shading. One-year-old seedlings can reach a height of 30-50 cm.
(2) Grafting: Grafting methods include approach grafting and branch grafting. The rootstock is usually 2-3-year-old Acer palmatum seedlings with a ground diameter of 1-1.5 cm, and grafting is performed from mid-March to mid-April before the sap flows. Cut the scion branches into lengths of 6-7 cm, with 2 plump buds at the top, dip them quickly into molten paraffin to form a thin wax layer on the surface, then place them in plastic bags and store them in a moist and low-temperature place for later use. Perform grafting before the rootstock sprouts. The graft union usually heals in about 25-30 days, and it is important to remove the rootstock suckers promptly. After survival, promptly loosen the ties and re-tie or hill soil to prevent wind damage, then strengthen fertilization and water management.
III. Prevention and Control of Diseases and Pests
The focus should be on prevention, applying fungicides such as Metalaxyl or Dimethomorph or Emamectin Benzoate + Ningnanmycin + Abamectin + Beta-cypermethrin or Chlorpyrifos or Acetamiprid + Organosilicon 3000 times liquid. Apply every 15-20 days when there is no disease, and every 5-7 days when the disease is severe. Pay attention to alternating the use of different chemicals.
Common pests of Acer palmatum include grubs, mole crickets, beetles, caterpillars, aphids, longicorn beetles, and heart borers.
Control of grubs and mole crickets: These underground pests can bite the roots and stems of seedlings, causing them to wither and die. You can use 50% Phoxim emulsifiable concentrate or 48% Lufengsheng emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times liquid, mixed with fine soil for broadcasting or drenching the roots.
Control of beetles, caterpillars, and aphids: These leaf-eating pests often feed on the leaves of Acer palmatum, causing poor growth of seedlings. You can use Abamectin, Pukai, or Oxamyl 800-1000 times spray. Control of longicorn beetles and heart borers: These boring pests damage the branches and trunks of Acer palmatum, causing withered branches or even the death of the whole plant. You can use Cypermethrin, Green Kungfu, and other 2000-3000 times liquid spray, or inject pesticides like Dichlorvos into the pest tunnels and seal the openings with sticky mud.
V. Pruning and Shaping
The tree form of Acer palmatum is mainly a natural round shape with a central trunk. When pruning, focus on an elegant tree crown to fully showcase the natural beauty and cultivate a full tree crown. When the seedlings grow to 1.2-1.5 meters tall, prune to 1.0-1.2 meters. Remove all unnecessary buds from the bottom at the same time and train for one year. In the winter dormant season, cut the current year's branches to 30 cm to control the growth direction, combined with some thinning, removing vertical, crossing, and diseased branches. In the second year, when the new shoots are semi-lignified in spring, pinch off the top 30 cm, and in May to June and October to November, remove the suckers from the rootstock twice, thin out dense branches on the trunk, and try to make the tree crown full, compact, and evenly distributed branches, without crown bias or missing branches.
The above sharing on how to care for Acer palmatum seedlings and the comprehensive explanation of the cultivation techniques of Acer palmatum trees hope to solve your problems with green plants.