Tips for Growing and Caring for Japanese Red Maple

Tips for growing Japanese Red Maple Trees from small pots from Sooner Plant Farm. Soil mix, fertilizers and pot sizes.

If purchasing Japanese red maple trees in small pots from Sooner Plant Farm, follow these instructions to improve your success with our trees.
Remove trees from boxes and water throughly. Replant into larger containers as soon as possible.
Recommended shift up pot sizes
3"-6" trees repot into 4" pots
6"-12" trees repot into 4" or quart pots
12"-18" trees repot into quarts or 1 gallon pots
18"-24" trees repot into 1 or 2 gallon pots

Japanese Red Maples prefer a slightly acid soil, a well drained organic soil mix is prefered.
Incorparate into soil mix a low rate of a slow release type fertilizer.
Here is a typical soil mix that can be used. Although, many other soil mixes can be used and can also produce good results. As every grower has different growing conditions, each grower will need to develope a soil mix that works best for their location and growing techniques.

Basic Japanese maple tree growing mix
3 parts ground and composted pine bark
1 part perlite
6 lbs 18-6-12 osmocote slow release fertilizer per cubic yard of soil mix
4 lbs dolomitic lime per cubic yard of soil mix
1/2 oz of micromax minor elements per cubic yard of soil mix
Again this is a soilmix to start with, and should be adjusted based on your specific needs

Keep soil evenly moist but well draining. Trees will become darker red with increased sunlight.
Trees should become saleable
1 gallon in 1 year
2 gallon in 2 years
3 gallon in 3 years (shift 1 gallon plants into 3 gallon)
5 gallon in 3-4 years (shift 2 gallon plants into 5 gallon)
For information about growing Japanese Red Maples from seed click here.