General description and origin of maple, planting and caring for maple in your garden, reproduction with your own hands, difficulties and ways to solve them, interesting facts, types. Maple (Acer) was previously part of the same name in the Maple family (Aceraceae), but today it has been moved to the family named Sapindaceae. This plant can take both tree and shrub forms, and most of all maple varieties are common in Europe, Asia and North America. However, there are species that grow not only in the temperate zone, but can settle in the tropics, and even in the Southern Hemisphere there is one such species - Laurel Maple (Acer laurinum). Naturally, in our latitudes, we are well acquainted with this attractive example of nature, but how much do we borrow about it?
The family itself includes up to 150 species, but only 20–25 species can be grown on the territory of Russia. These plants got their name due to the shape of foliage, sharp ends, which became a household name, since "maple" in Latin means "sharp". In general, maples rarely form full-fledged forests, but they can be placed in small groups or grow completely alone.
The height of the plant, if it has a tree-like shape, varies within 10–40 meters, but if the maple grows like a shrub, the branches of which originate from the base of the stem, then its height indicators will reach 5–10 meters. Most species are deciduous representatives of the flora, but only a few species that grow in the territory of South Asia and the Mediterranean never lose their deciduous mass - they are evergreen.
Basically, the leaf plates are located opposite on the branches, and in a large number of members of the family they are palm-shaped (that is, they have a finger-like shape). On each of the blades, you can count from three to nine veins, with the obligatory central one. And only in some varieties of maples, the leaves have a complex-palmate shape, and also complex-pinnate, with feathery venation, or generally devoid of lobes can be found.
When the plant blooms, buds are formed, which differ in five symmetrically placed petals. From such flowers, racemose, corymbose or umbellate inflorescences are collected. The flower has five sepals and the same number of petals, the length of which varies from 1 to 6 mm. Inside there are 12 stamens of 6-10 mm each, a pair of pistils of various types. The ovary has a higher location and has a pair of carpels. It is their wings that will then begin to stretch out of the flower, and make it clear what gender the flower is - with them it is female. The flowering process in maples occurs at the end of winter or early spring, but most of the varieties begin to produce flowers after the leaves appear, and in some they are formed even before them.
The color of the flowers is varied, there is a green, yellowish, orange or red hue. Their size is very small, but there are so many of them that from a distance it seems as if the whole tree is covered with flowers. The nectary has a flat ring shape and is located between the petals and stamens. In the Norway maple variety, this formation extends to the ovary itself and the stamens are immersed in it with their bases.
During fruiting, a fruit, called a two-winged fruit, ripens, it is made up of a pair of identical parts, and when, ripening, it falls off, then rotation begins. In this case, the seed is carried away at a considerable distance from the parent tree. The fruit ripens after flowering for 2–6 weeks. Maple is a rather unpretentious plant and even a novice gardener can cope with its cultivation.
Agricultural technology for growing maple at home
- Purchase of maple seedlings. The time for acquiring such a plant is the end of September or the beginning of October. The leaves on it should be without wilting. Root system without damage or defects.
- Disembarkation maple tree is carried out in a bright place, however, in the first year of life, shading should be organized from the direct midday rays of the sun. The planting hole is prepared 14–20 days before the operation so that the earth settles in it. Used for filling, the same soil from the hole, but mixed with humus. The hole should be 70 cm deep and 50 cm wide. If a hedge is formed, then the distance between the seedlings should be 1, 5-2 meters, but with a single planting it is 2-4 meters. A maple seedling is planted in a hole so that the root collar is flush with the soil surface. After moistening, the soil can settle by 20 cm in a natural way. If the site has groundwater close to the soil surface, then a drainage layer of expanded clay or crushed stone is laid on the bottom of the planting hole.
- Fertilizers for maple, apply once a year. If the planting has been carried out and there is a nutritious substrate in the hole, then there is no need to feed such a tree, and the next year they add superphosphate, potassium salt and urea.
- Maple crown pruning. There are varieties that do not require such a molding, since they have a beautiful crown shape, but frozen and dried shoots should be removed in spring. It is recommended to cut branches only in autumn.
It is required to fulfill the following rules in order for your tree to please with a beautiful fur crown:
- Regular moistening of the soil - in the spring and autumn, only one watering is carried out, but quite abundant (up to 15–20 liters of water under one tree). In the summer heat, it is recommended to carry out weekly watering, and if the specimen is still young, then it should be watered with a double volume of liquid.
- After watering, the substrate in the near-stem circle is loosened up.
- It is recommended to promptly remove nearby weeds.
Maple tree self-propagation rules
You can get a young maple plant by sowing seed, cuttings or grafting.
Seeds are stratified before planting in the ground - for up to 2-3 months they are placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator at a temperature of 5 degrees. Then they should be soaked in hydrogen peroxide for 3 days, and only then are they planted in prepared soil. It should contain humus, garden soil and river sand in a ratio of 4: 2: 1. The disembarkation is carried out at the end of April. The seeds are immersed 4 cm into the substrate and after 20 days the first shoots can be seen. It is recommended for the first time to shade the seedlings from the rays of the sun, regularly water and loosen the soil in a pot. For a year, such plants reach a height of 80 cm. Transplantation is carried out for the first time after a one-year period, but 3-year-old specimens are endowed with greater viability.
Cut in late summer or early autumn. The branches are cut to a length of about 25 cm, the cut is carried out at an angle. A couple of leaves are left on the handle, but they are cut in half. Then the twigs are placed in a growth stimulator solution for a day and then planted in the substrate no deeper than 5 cm. The soil should consist of garden soil, peat and river sand (in a ratio of 3: 2: 1). You can put twigs under a cut plastic bottle, but ventilate them regularly. With the arrival of spring, cuttings should be planted in fresh soil.
In riverine maples, over time, root suckers appear, which can be dug out and planted in a new place in spring or autumn. Maple propagation by grafting is sometimes used.
Maple pests and diseases, methods of dealing with them
Maple often suffers from many infectious and fungal diseases, among which are powdery mildew, white, brown, pinkish, yellowish and black spot, blackening, wilt disease, viral mosaic or foliage becomes deformed. If these diseases are detected, treatment with fungicides, Bordeaux liquid should be carried out, colloidal sulfur or copper oxychloride should be used.
Pests can also cause irreparable harm to the maple tree by devouring foliage or sucking sap, and they are often carriers of infections with various ailments. Of the harmful insects, the American white butterfly, ash dwarf, and gypsy moth are distinguished. Maple lancet, apple scabbard, maple sawfly, and sycamore moth also cause harm to maples. In the fight against these insects, insecticidal preparations of a wide spectrum of action are used.
Often, trees are eaten by mice or hares and other animals.
Interesting facts about maple
The beneficial properties of maple plants have long been known to people, for example, the Indians of North America still prepare syrup from sap, which is collected, almost like birch. Americans love to use this sweetness to flavor their culinary dishes. Curiously, maple sap contains multiple beneficial substances such as reproduced sugars, various trace minerals, tannins, lipids, and unsaturated fatty acids. Because of this, it can be consumed by people with diabetes or obese people. To make juice, you need to have several types of maples, such as black, red, silver and sugar.
Young foliage can have a tonic and tonic effect, as well as choleretic, antiseptic properties, the ability to quickly heal wounds, therefore maple is widely used in traditional medicine.
Maple can relieve stress that causes stress and is a good antidepressant. He copes well with aggression, contributes to the harmonization and restoration of energy. There are many recipes from maple bark, leaves, fruits and flowers.
For bath procedures, a maple broom is also used along with a birch broom. Maple sap can heal internal wounds and is used for peptic ulcer disease.
And because of the polyphenols that are in the juice, it is prescribed to cancer patients. If fresh maple leaf plates are crushed, then they can be applied to lesions on the skin, and the juice can also be drunk with vitamin deficiency and asthenia, if maple juice is added to the complex of medicines, then diseases such as viral infections, kidney diseases or hepatitis, bronchitis will heal faster. Maple bark ash diluted in water can be used for good hair growth.
If a maple tree was planted next to the house according to the old belief, it brought happiness and this tree has always symbolized goodness. Such a tree helped to find balance and be in a calm mood. In some nationalities, the maple leaf has become a symbol of good luck and its 5 peaks symbolize the five human feelings.
Maple species
Here are only the most famous and decorative varieties of maple plants:
- Field maple (Acer campestre) The height of this tree is on average 15 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 30-60 cm. The crown is made of intertwined branches that slightly droop downwards, and it crowns a short trunk if growth is free, but in planting the branches grow high, and the trunk looks high and slightly twisted. Its crown is broadly conical, composed of 5–7 lobed leaf plates, their arrangement is opposite. Foliage color is light green. During flowering, flowers are formed that are almost invisible due to their small size, they are dioecious, gather in drooping brushes. A plant with male flowers begins to bloom earlier. They appear almost immediately after the foliage is formed. The flowering process occurs in May-June for about a week (maximum 15 days). The fruit is a lionfish with a seed.
- Maple dark red (Acer Platanoides Royal Red) in height it can reach 12-15 meters and has a high growth rate. The crown is conical, but over time it becomes more and more rounded. The leaf plates reach 18 cm in length and have five lobes. Their color is lighter red than that of other varieties with red foliage. Before the foliage blooms, flowers of a yellow-green color are formed. The root system of this tree is superficial and sensitive.
- French maple (Acer monspessulanum) can have both tree and shrub growth. The growth rate while the plant is young is high enough, but it slows down over time. The root system of this tree is superficial and the plant does not tolerate stagnant moisture. The bark is smooth to the touch while the tree is young, but then the surface of the trunk becomes covered with cracks. Unlike other varieties, the leaves only have three lobes. The color is dark green. Foliage falls off only at the end of autumn. At the end of summer, the color of the leaves begins to change to yellow-green. The flowering period occurs at the end of April and can last until mid-May. At the same time, small yellowish-green flowers are formed on the tree, which are collected in racemose inflorescences. The decoration of the tree is considered to be fruits with wings, which are painted in a bright rich red hue.
- Black maple (Acer nigrum) the eastern lands of North America are considered native growing areas. The height of this plant is impressive and its figures are close to 40 meters. It is considered a long-liver, since there are specimens that have crossed the two-century mark. Black maple does not produce flowers; the period of vegetation activity occurs in May and lasts until the beginning of October days. The root system is superficial and therefore quite sensitive to the substrate. The leaf plates are divided into 5–6 blades. The color of the foliage is not as black and as the name suggests, it is most likely a very maroon or deep purple, going into a black tone. On the surface of each lobe, a central vein is clearly visible, which stands out from the rest.
- Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) can also be found under the name of the Japanese aconitol maple. It has average height parameters - no more than 5 meters. The foliage of this variety is quite decorative, the length of the leaf plate is 10-15 cm, while the color is light green. The crown is distinguished by its spherical shape. When flowering, buds of a yellowish-brown color are formed, a lionfish acts as a fruit. The root system of the plant is quite branched, but does not lie deep, increased sensitivity to substrate flooding. Better to plant in sunny or semi-dark places.
- White maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) It can also be found under the names of the False-Platan Maple or Pseudo-Platan Maple, or it is called Javor. The plant is quite powerful in its outlines, characterized by a beautiful spreading crown, which has a conical shape. The species is medium-sized, and when the plant is considered sufficiently mature, it reaches 35–40 meters in height. The color of the bark is silvery-orange-brown. When the branches are young, their bark is olive green. The leaf plates are quite decorative, they begin to bloom in the month of April and their color is yellowish-copper. With the arrival of summer, the color of the foliage changes to light green, but some remain yellow.
Although the root system is also superficial, the plant is undemanding to the composition of the soil, has frost resistance and is not afraid of strong winds.
How to plant a maple seed, see below:
