Early Spring Creates Pleasant Surprises ...and some work

Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows'

 Spring has come early this year. Its March and the temperatures are more like May or June. Temperatures have forced  the buds to open early and leaves begun to unfold.  The forsythia is in full bloom, daffodils are up  and its time to put down the lawn fertilizer with crabgrass preventer. I am not one to use lots of fertilizer, so this application of preventer and fertilizer may be all I do until fall.  Trees and shrubs will get an application of Espoma products, Holly-tone, Plant-tone....

 Sassafras albidum male flower    www.missouriplants.com

Roots have begun  to grow and if that tree or shrub is not planted where you want it,  now is the time to transplant it .  Don't wait too long, or you may  risk damaging the newly formed feeder roots. It seems like each year I put off this chore. As I get older the thought of moving large shrubs gets less appealing. 

This native Sassafras tree  grows wild in a tree line next to my house.  Flowers are not fragrant but are a pleasant surprise in the spring. Leaves come in different shapes, check out the link. 

 
It does not take long for these hosta leaves to open up fully . 

March 25

April 1

 

Acer rubrum  Red Maple

   Red maple is a great  native  tree which will  grow 40-60' tall providing lots of shade for your yard.  Called  red maple because its green leaves turn red in fall. As a native it may be found  in wet bottom land, river flood plains, and wet woods, which is good because that means it will tolerate poor soils in your yard.  Red flowers ( above) in dense clusters in late March to early April (before the leaves appear), red fruit  two-winged samara.

Acer Shishigashira  - Lions Head Maple

When you go to purchase a Japanese Maple, most of us think of  finely cut palmate leaves, red in color.  Most novice gardens would not recognize this as a Japanese maple. This maple has green   star shaped leaves formed in dense groupings. My  tree grows slowly upright,  vase shaped ,  hoping one day to reach 15 ft .  Great plant for a patio or a large container.

 I really don't have to do much to care for this tree. Mulch and occasional light application of organic fertilizer.  

Spring is officially here. The garden has provided many surprises, and although there is still the possibly that we could get some cold, frosty weather, I guess it's time to go out and get my hands dirty .

If you would like to attend some fun and informative gardening classes in the Harrisburg Area.  Go to this link   www.ashcombe.com

Planting Maples in Your Garden

Japanese Maples are four  season plants, the leafs change with the season, making gardening interesting in spring, summer, fall. For many maples the bare branches look good in the winter.   What seems to be the most popular is the  red leafed  "bloodgood"  and also growing in popularity is the weeping thin leafed crimson queen maple.  The photo below is a Acer palmatum "Tsuma Gaki"  or red nails . The leaves on this cultivar look like they have been dipped in red paint.

Acer Tsuma Gaki

Growing Japanese maples
Good soil is a requirement.  Idea environment would be rich, moist soil conditions  with a few hours of dabbled shade, although many of my maples get all day sun.    Unfortunalty clay soil will make your maple very unhappy.
Plant high, dig a big hole and amend the you soil with a coarse textured compost like small bark chips. Then surround the tree with a few inches of aged bark mulch.  The mulch will help with  the weeds, and becasue Maples have a fibrous root system and the mulch will help keep the root system evenly moist.
Maples vary in size from very small 3x3 to 25 x 15   It is important to know how large the maple you purchased will get. Many weeping maples are not planted with  adequate space to groe and then the homeowners are stuck  pruning branches  to keep the plant in its space. 

Not all maples have red leaves.  Acer palmatum Shishigashira remains green most of the growing season and then in the late fall changes to a beautiful shade of orange

Acer palmatum Shishigashira  
Lionshead

This Lionshead maple planted in my back yard is a very slow grower.  The interesting aspect of this maple is the unusual textured leaf shape. Because of it unique leaves and slow growth this maple makes the perfect patio tree, growing about 7-10 ft tall, and 5-8 ft wide

Japanese maple trees are not heavy feeders so it is important not to over fertilize your tree. Be especially careful in using nitrogen fertilizers and fertilizers that have a high percentage of ammonium nitrate. Try to limit the amount of fertilizer.

Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo

This maple is not yet in my garden.  This photo was taken at Islei Nursery, Oregon.   This maple is also known as  'Floating Cloud' for the heavily variegated leaves that are sometimes completely white. Spring leaves will be a light shade of  pink.  Avoid too much fertilizer  or too much sun, otherwise the leaves could revert to green.  Not a big tree ,  upright in form. Gold and yellow in the fall. One to look for in  your garden center.