Can a Japanese Maple survive in Zone 10 ?

dkalderis

Hi all,

recently received a nice Japanese Maple Dissectum Roseo Marginata. From the information and advice I have been collecting, it seems difficult to even keep this species alive here in Greece, let alone grow it succesfully.

any more advice and ideas would be most welcome.

kind regards
Dimitris

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Bart Thomas(deceased)

Dimitrus:

Once you hear from someone more knowledgeable, pay attention to them.

I read your message, just after having read a comment in another eMail to the effect that the only maples they can grow on the Florida Space Coast (Cape Canaveral area - zone are the native Red Maples (Acer rubrum, known as Swamp Maple).

You are two zones warmer! So, difficult may be an understatement.

Having said that, I'd certainly try to protect it from the heat, but my real concern would be the tree's need for winter dormancy. I'll be very interested to see what others suggest.

Good Luck!

duartix

Perhaps I'm confused but if you talking about the Acer species then:

I live in Lisbon and this is already Zone 10 and I know a guy who succesfully grows bonsay maples (both burgaerium and palmatum) in Algarve which is 300 KM South and a lot warmer, and he keeps them out in the Sun until May when he spreads a net over them to shade them. I guess it's a question of keeping humidity, protecting from drying winds and extreme heat.

I've totally given up on maples since my balcony has a lot of wind and I think this is what dries them out the most.

Still I know nothing about your species.

Aaron_K

I would have thought you would be able to keep Japanese maples in Greece, but they could be a little problematic. You will need to pay particular attention to them in late spring all the way through till the end of autumn with regard to their watering and lighting requirements.

The maples are a really thirsty tree that form shallow roots, so in Greece in the summer, you would probably be watering them a few times a day. They also like a well draining soil too, which will add to the watering regime.

Acer P. is intolerant of strong sunlight, so as duartix mentioned, some form of shade will be required in the summer, else scorched leaves and eventually a dead tree is what you will end up with. Protection from hot dry winds is also important.

You might also have to induce/break dormancy by putting them in cold storage for about 6 weeks, so unless you have enough room in your refrigerator - you're gonna have difficulty (If anyone has first hand knowledge/experience of this please expand or correct this). This is of course if your winter temperature doesn't drop enough to do this naturally.

Trident maples on the other hand, will tolerate much stronger sunlight and drier conditions, so you may have greater success with them. Acer monspessulanum and Acer opalus are two species indigenous to Spain and will be perfect for you as they are zone 10, although I do not know too much about their suitability for bonsai.

Good luck.

Kindest regards,

Aaron

ripssurf

i would be most concerned about winter dormancy. japan gets really really hot in the summer (anyone been to kyoto during rainy season?) so personally i wouldnt worry about the heat as long as it gets some protection from the sun.

for winter dormancy...maybe if you had a dug a hole in the ground and then sheltered it from the sun that might work. maybe you could keep it in your garage or something like that (just dont forget to water it).

maybe someone else has some ideas?

good luck,

jeff

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bonsai411

Where I am in South Florida, where winter dormancy is problematic, I had what I would like to call borderline and temporary success. I attempted, in my early days to carry maples in shallow pots as bonsai. At first they seemed fine. However, it became evident that after a season or two they were so weak that it wasn't worth keeping them. I eventually gave them to a friend in CT.

I am not trying to answer the conern, rather share my experience here, and hopefully will give you an idea of what you could expect.

Mike