I'm really wanting a Japanese maple for my walkway garden; however, I'm concerned about the sun and heat there. It's a second-floor walkway that faces east, so it gets the hot morning sun until around noon or 1 pm during the summer. Also, because the walk is cement, the temps get very hot. During our heat wave last summer, it was getting up to 110 degrees out there at 9 am.
Is this too much for a small tree like this? I would want to give a tree a good home, not kill it on the spot. I'd have it back against the wall, so it would be out of the sun by 1030 or 11 am every day.
I'd appreciate any advice--thanks!
Japanese Maple in container?
Katy, you might check with a maple grower. They sell seeds etc. I can't think of their name right now but I do get emails from one once in a while. Try google. You don't say what your zone is, besides the heat what is it in the winter? I don't know if they could take very cold in containers. I had one for years in a large cedar planter in a zone 8. Then moved to a zone 5, bordering on 4 and lost it the first winter. But, it had a very rough time in the move and may not have had it's roots established. Anyway, check with one of them.
Jeanette
Many of the cultivars will do fine with the sun exposure you describe, but none will tolerate that kind of heat w/o complaining vigorously or expiring. You would need to find a way to keep actual root temperatures from climbing above 90* F as well. Maple roots begin to slow in their function at temperatures above about 82*, and by the time they've hit 95*, nearly all function will have stopped. It would be pretty near impossible to keep the canopy hydrated under those conditions.
If you're zone 5, it's almost assured that you'll need some additional winter protection, like an unheated garage or outbuilding.
Al
If you container-grow it, work some moisture crystals into the soil when planting it. Then water it every other day, and it will do fine. I grew mine this way, in a 20-gallon nursery pot, until I moved where I could put it in the ground. It is still in full sun from noon to sunset, and is beautiful. In fact I have a solid green and a solid red JM in the same setting, and they do very well.
Thanks for the advice, everyone.
Kay, I hadn't thought about moisture crystals--I've never used those before. I'm a dedicated twice-a-day drencher in the summer, but that would definitely help. I ought to use those for a lot of things.
I'm more worried about the heat radiating off the concrete walkway and the UV rays than anything else. It really did a number on a lot of very faithful performers last year. Even my Alice duPont mandevilla did poorly, and it's been an absolute overachiever the past 2 years.
I'll have to think about this a bit more, but thanks again to everyone for their help.
Is there any way you could provide some shade overhead? And shade the roots which are shallow?
Try this, I found it invaluable. http://www.mountainmaples.com/WS4D_Cookie=4.8.07_08,17,23_15/Container_Growing.pdf
Ooo, revclaus, thank you! I will read that today!
I would put the container back again the wall of the walkway, so it would only get full sun in the mornings until about 10. After that, as the sun gets higher, it pulls away, and by 1 pm or so the entire walkway is shaded.
This entire idea is pushing the envelope for me. I'm surprised my apartment manager hasn't said something about all the plants but, honestly, they don't seem to pay much attention to anything, so I'm still getting by. My neighbors seem to appreciate them, though; this complex is old and looks kinda "motel-ish," if you know what I mean. The only other person who does anything with plants is an elderly downstairs neighbor of mine who always has a hibiscus and some lantana every year, but that's it.
I know what you mean about you being the only one doing anything with plants. My apartment management doesn't mind at all. The manager is a plant lover, but I'm still the only one in our building who does anything, and we have 350 apartments!
Go ahead and push the envelope! Here's my JM from some years ago. Unfortunately, our winters are just too cold for them, but in your zone they should do better.
