The Magnificent Japanese Maple Bonsai

The Japanese Maple is a perfect species for bonsai which accounts for it’s popularity around the globe. This tree is adored for it’s compact stature, the delicacy of it’s leaves, and especially for it’s glorious fall colors. It’s botanical name is derived from and is descriptive of the tree’s leaves, which have at least five lobes and somewhat resemble a human hand. It is a popular bonsai subject in Japan and throughout the world. The Acer palmatum includes the red, green, lace-leaf, and thread-leaf varieties. The most popular of these varieties is the red variety.

How to Properly Water Your Japanese Maple

Your Japanese maple bonsai will require regular watering from spring, when you begin to see signs that the tree is coming out of dormancy, through late fall when the tree has dropped the last of it’s leaves. Japanese maples like moist soil, so you will need to be vigilant in checking the moisture level in the soil to maintain the optimum level of moisture. The best way to water your Japanese Maple is to water it in the morning. Let it dry out over the course of the day but never allow it to become completely dry. It’s important that your plant’s pot has sufficient drainage holes to allow all the excess water to drain out. Japanese Maple trees are vulnerable to root rot so it is very important that the pots drain thoroughly and the roots don’t sit in water.

Placement and Sunlight

When given the perfect levels of sunlight your maple will have better back-budding and produce smaller leaves, which is preferable. The leaves of Japanese Maples are notoriously delicate and sensitive, and can burn if exposed to the intense rays of the mid-day sun. You should provide the tree protection against this exposure. Your maple bonsai will do best if you can locate it where it can receive the full, direct morning and evening sun, but is protected from the intense and hot sun during the middle of the day. In the spring when your tree is beginning to put out its leaves, and the mid-day sun is less intense, you should give your plant full sun all day long. Hot summer winds can quickly strip you maple’s leaves of moisture resulting in “wind burn”, so be sure to provide necessary protection. Your Japanese Maple will be especially vulnerable to sun and wind burn for a week or more after pruning it’s roots and re-potting it. Be sure you keep it out of harsh sun and wind during this time.

Keep your Japanese Maple sheltered from winter winds too, because these winds can also be quite dry, and if your bonsai is left exposed to these winds it could result in serious damage to the tree.

Humidity = Thriving Trees

Higher levels of humidity will ensure that your Japanse Maple will thrive. Humidity can be increased by filling a shallow container with small stones, and then covering the stones with water, and then placing your bonsai pot on top of the stones. Make sure your bonsai pot is not actually sitting in the water. The evaporating water creates humidity and slows down the transpiration of water from the tree’s leaves. You should also give your plants a regular misting with water, although never in direct sunlight.

Feeding

Your Japanese Maple will respond well to a high nitrogen, slow release fertilizer. You should begin feeding your plant in the spring after you see the first signes of new growth. Feeding should continue every 2-3 weeks thereafter all throuogh summer up until about mid-fall. The best natural fertilizer that is high in nitrogen is fish emulsion. If you prefer to use chemical fertilizers, feed every other week with a half-strength solution of a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer. Avoid any potential damage to your bonsai tree by not fertilizing during the hottest weeks of the summer. In mid-autumn you should switch to a low nitrogen fertilizer. This will help harden off the current seasons new growth in preparation for winter.