By Amanda Moon
For years Japanese maples were an elusive wonderment to me. I would see beautiful photos of them in gardens from Oregon to Washington D.C., but thought that it was way too hot and dry here in central Texas to even try growing them, especially since the costs can be scary.
Fast forward to the present and I must admit I’ve made a complete about-face on the subject. My deck is now full of beautiful maples (I have no soil) and there are a number of fellow gardeners all over Austin who are successfully growing them in the ground.
There are some simple tricks to make this pretty tree grow here. And the biggest trick of all is… shade! While in northern climates and on the West Coast maples grow with abandon in full sun, they will quickly scorch to a crisp in the 100 degree heat of our summers. High shade to limited morning sun is the best location for these trees.
Another trick is to work good compost into the soil. There are some maples growing happily on Brodie Lane in south Austin in rocky soil, but much of the rock has been removed so the roots don’t have to work as hard to grow. While acidic soil is not necessary, giving them a leg up with better soil goes a long way in our temperamental growing environment.
In addition, providing these delicate trees with even moisture and good drainage is critical. In the shade the even moisture part is not too difficult. A deep watering twice a week on an established tree is sufficient in all but the hottest summers.
Drainage is the one to watch out for. If your yard tends to hold on to water, planting in a raised bed or working in some granite and organic matter to loosen up the existing soil may be the answer.
When in doubt, or short of the right spot in a shady location, try planting your maple in a container. I’ve done this at my house, and have found that Japanese maples can live long lives and really flourish on a north or east facing deck. I use Metro Mix for my maples, and Hasta Grow or HollyTone (an Espoma product) as an organic fertilizer.
DO NOT use chemical fertilizers on these trees as they are super-sensitive to chemical burn and do not need heavy feed to thrive.
Japanese maple leaves can tip-burn even in the shade during the hottest parts of the summer, but by that point we are just a few short months away from incredible fall color and then dormancy, so I think a little edge raggedness in late summer is not too big a deal.
There are several wonderful, easy to find Japanese maples worth trying out here in Texas that tend to be the most heat tolerant.
Bloodgood, the old standby, an upright, wine colored variety and its predecessor Emperor 1, a maple that holds its color a little better in the shade, are two great options to start out with. A favorite of mine is Tamukeyama, a weeping form of Japanese maple that also bears beautifully graceful purplish-red lacy leaves.
Stock may be a little limited this year due to the March ice storm, but Bloodgoods are almost always around and a great place to start.
Happy gardening everyone!
If you have a question for Chris or Amanda, send it via email to iathyme@yahoo.com. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
