Cutting through the confusion surrounding how to care for Japanese maples is the main theme of this site but I'll also be posting information on related topics as, in my experience, maple enthusiasts are also well-rounded and discerning gardeners (nod your head wisely here!). Examples off the top of my head are mycorrhiza and rock dust but many other subjects can be shared across the whole spectrum of gardening.
It's been a passion of mine for almost 30 years and I've managed to get the hang of keeping them alive to the extent that I've probably got a few tips that can help you if you enjoy maples as much as me.
During all the years I've been growing them, it's struck me that there's almost as many ways to care for them as there are cultivars, most of the instructions being inaccurate to say the least. I wonder if any of the writers have ever actually stuck one in the ground!
For a group of plants that are surrounded by so much mystique, it probably comes as a bit of a surprise to be told that they grow like weeds and that maples planted in gardens 150 years ago are still alive and indeed, are thriving.
As a professional nurseryman, I shall probably be boring you with all the mundane things I do in the nursery, but littered amongst the dross wil be pearls of wisdom (!) on how to care for your maples, how and when to prune them (tip: don't do it yet, you've still got six weeks to go!) soil types they like (a clue here; yours), what they love and what they hate; in fact, the cumulative sum of the knowledge I've picked up at the school of hard knocks. If you've been upset at losing one plant, imagine the trauma I've suffered at losing thousands over the last three decades!
But the lessons I've learnt over that time have given me a unique insight into growing Japanese maples the easy way and hopefully I can pass on my knowledge to you, whether you're an experienced gardener or just starting out.
Thats all for today but I'll be back soon; there's a lot to get done this winter!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
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1 comments:
I've never really been one for blogs but this is exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for. Keep it up John.
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