Red Japanese Maple

Due to its graceful shape with a semicircular crown, the Japanese maple is a popular small tree in bonsai design. The term palmatum is derived from the Latin palma = palm and refers to the leaves that are slit like fingers. The dark red leaves turn into bright carmine red in autumn before the tree sheds its leaves in winter.

Natural habitat
The Japanese maple is originally found in northeast China as well as in Japan and Korea, where it likes to grow as a small tree in shady forests. In Japan it is grown as an ornamental tree and also as a bonsai.

Cultivation
Cultivation is possible all year round. Place the seed in a plastic bag in the normal refrigerator area for a week. This stimulates it to germinate more quickly. Only then do you place it about an inch deep in moist potting soil. Cover the cultivation vessel with cling film, which you have provided with holes. This protects the earth from drying out. Every two to three days you should remove the film for 2 hours. This prevents mold from forming on the potting soil. Place the cultivation vessel in a light and warm place with 20 to 25 ° Celsius and keep the cultivation soil moist, but not wet. The first seedlings should appear after ten to twelve weeks.

Location
The Japanese maple prefers a sunny to partially shaded location protected from the wind. The leaf tips react to full sun with a brown color.

Care
The Acer grows deeply rooted in the topsoil as a shallow root with many fine roots and therefore needs even and many watering, whereby you should avoid waterlogging. Fertilize the plant with liquid bonsai fertilizer regularly every four weeks from April to October.

Winter
In the winter months, the water requirement after the loss of leaves is significantly lower. But the plant should not dry out even in winter. A protected, cool location without excessive freezing temperatures is now ideal because the roots cannot tolerate severe frost. In addition, a windbreak is recommended to prevent the fine branches from drying out.

Bonsai
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