What You Need To Know About Caring For A Maple Tree

Maple trees are deciduous trees commonly found in North America. You can also see its leaf on the Canadian flag. These trees are well-known for their unique leaf arrangement and fall color. Their flowers are also upright and often appear red, green, or yellow, depending on their variety. 

​There are at least 125 maple tree species, and each tree varies in size. But all share the same techniques needed for them to grow. To know more about it, here are a couple of tips to help you care for your maple tree.

Maple tree basic caring tips:

• Planting

When planting a maple tree, you must check your yard's soil quality. Ensure that the soil's pH level is below 7.3 as this kind of tree needs a more acidic environment. You can consider having heavy nutrient-rich soil as an alternative.

Before you start planting, it's best to dig a hole at least three feet below the ground. Doing so will help the threes to spread at least four feet across the soil. Maple trees have quite strong roots that can lift fences and pavings. So, ensure that you keep your tree away from such obstacles.

• Pruning

Pruning is when you remove dead or weakened branches from a plant, which is crucial when handling young maple trees. Not only does it help make your tree look pleasing, but it also helps develop solid branches and ensures that it keeps blooming each year. 

Pruning too early will cause excessive sap loss. So, if you're planning to prune your maple tree, it's best to do it during late spring or summer, just as when the tree has fully leafed. It would help if You also started pruning dead, weakened, or diseased branches first to prevent accidents. 
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• Watering

Maple trees need at least 11 gallons of water to stay healthy. So, you need to ensure that it gets the right amount of water to keep it nourished. Watch out for any signs of leaf scorch or wilting leaves, as these can be signs of drought stress. You can also consider buying a tree watering bag, especially if you have a tree that's at least 2 to 3 years old.

When watering your plants, ensure that the water reaches at least 10 inches underneath the surface to hydrate the tree's rooting system properly. It will be best to consider adding mulch and put it around the base to conserve water and maintain the soil temperature.

• Boosting soil quality

Adding fertilizer around newly planted trees is essential unless you had them planted when they were dormant. Almost every maple tree will need to have fertilizer to help maintain the suitable condition for the soil.

When adding fertilizer, it's best not to put it in a drought-stressed tree as chemical fertilizer tends to draw the water out of its roots. Also, it's highly advisable to use fertilizers that release less nitrogen to prevent excessive upper canopy growth. It's also best not to put any fertilizer in late fall or winter since trees will go into dormancy during this time.