Waterfall Japanese Maple makes an attractive garden tree, with beautifully cascading branches with large bright green, feather like leaves in spring . As summer turns to fall, the magic begins to happen with the tree transforming to its stunning color combinations of golden yellows, brilliant bronzes, luscious reds, and vivacious oranges. The tree will go dormant over winter and drop all its leaves. This variety know as “Acer palmatum dissectum” performs its best in USDA growing zones 5-9 in full sun to partial sun. Waterfall Japanese Maple are slow growers, maturing to a height of 6-12 feet tall and 8-12 feet in width.

Location: When choosing a location for your maple, find a location that offers full sun to partial shade. In warmer climate, morning sun and afternoon shade would be better and in colder climate full sun. Maple thrive better in well drained soil. If the soil is clay or with poor drainage, adding organic matter is important.

Planting Instructions:
1) Dig each hole so that it is 2 times the width of the root ball and slightly shallower.
2) Loosen the soil, in and around the hole so the roots can easily break through.
3) Use your fingers to separate the roots of your tree and gently position downward in the hole. The top of the root flare (where the roots end and the trunk begins) should be about an inch above the surrounding soil.
4) Begin to backfill the site, tamping down the sol as you go.
5) Apply water to settle the soil and remove any air pockets that may have formed then remove debris like stones and grass and completely break up any dirt clumps.
6) Add mulch to retain moisture and water again after the transplant is complete.

Mulching: Mulching around your Japanese maple helps to maintain a weed free area, minimizes water loss in dry conditions, and provides winter protection for the roots during cold frosts. The ideal mulch bed is a 2 inch layer of coarse bark.

Watering: The “average” amount of water supplied to most common lawn and garden plants should be adequate for your new Japanese maple tree. During the hot summer months, water your maple in early morning or evening. This will help protect against a condition known as “scorching” where the leaves appear to have been burnt by the sun, a condition thought to be brought on by watering in the mid-day sun.

Fertilization: Japanese maples do not require large amounts of nutrients. If your other lawn and garden plants do well, your tree should grow just fine. Any recommended fertilization should use a balanced complete fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 formula for shrubs and trees. This should be applied once a year in early spring, and if possible be applied just before the leaves appear.

Pruning: Your tree will need 2 to 3 years to become firmly established in your lawn or garden. After this period, you may begin to prune your tree if desired, although it is not required.