Red Maple is a popular ornamental tree known for its beautiful foliage and rapid growth. This tree will bring ever-changing color to your yard throughout the year, with flowers ranging from greenish to orange or red, and leaves changing from red tinged to green to bright yellow, orange or red in the fall.
The red maple leaf tree thrives in a variety of conditions. It is quite hardy and will do well in nearly any kind of soil. It is easily transplanted, quick to establish and fast-growing, quickly reaching heights of 40 to 60 feet, with a spread of about 40 feet. While red maple trees do prefer moist soil, they can tolerate occasional periods of drought.
Planting Red Maple Trees
Young red maples are readily available at garden centers, or they can be ordered online. Spring is the best time to plant, as it gives the young tree plenty of time to get established before the ground freezes in winter. Choose a site with fairly moist soil, and plenty of space for your young tree to grow.
Begin by digging a hole four times wider than the root ball, and as deep as the root ball. When you remove the tree from the pot or unwrap the root ball, gently loosen the roots with your fingers, spreading them out a bit before placing your tree in the hole. Fill in the hole and water deeply. Mulch well, to help retain moisture and keep out weeds. Keep your tree watered very well while the roots are getting established.
Maintenance
Red maples are fairly low maintenance. Just keep them watered and mulched, and they do quite well. It is not necessary to fertilize your tree the first year, but after that a monthly application of a basic 10-10-10 fertilizer will suffice. This type of tree is quite prolific; red maple seeds are quick to take hold on the ground below your tree, so unless you want a red maple forest in you backyard, you will need to pull up any seedlings that try to grow there.
If you are looking for a tree that will enhance your landscape with very little effort, then red maple is an ideal choice. Your red maple will bring lasting color and beauty to your landscape.
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