The Japanese Maple, (Acer palmatum), is originally from Japan, China, and Korea. It owes its botanical name to the hand-shaped leaves with five pointed lobes. Palma is Latin for palm, as in the palm of your hand!
Renowned for their it’s brilliant Autumn colours this beautiful deciduous tree is attractive all year round even in Winter when you can enjoy their dramatic branch structure.
Caring for your Japanese Maple Bonsai
Sun exposure
Japanese Maples do really well in a sunny and airy locations, however they should be protected from harsh summer sun. The ideal spot for Japanese maples is a part sun part shade location. In summer, Japanese maples love water. Water until water comes out of the drainage holes in the bottom. During the growth season, Spring – Summer, a lot of the shaping can be done with trimming alone. General maintenance pruning is to probably trim back to 1-3 leaves on each new shoot especially in Spring.
Good to know: Leaf pruning is the removal of all leaves during the growing season to encourage a second and often finer flush of growth.
Fertilizing
Solid, organic fertilizers contain all the required micronutrients, and they take effect slowly and gently. They are very well-proven, especially for more mature Japanese Maple Bonsai. Avoid fertilizers with a high nitrogen concentration to avoid unnecessarily large leaves and internodes.
