Some thoughts on planting Part 2

Following on from yesterday, the plant will need watering! If the ground is particularly dry, the planting hole can be filled once or twice and allowed to drain prior to planting. Once planted, a further dose can be given but no further than the spread of the tree; watering any more of the ground is a waste of resources as it will be a long time before the roots reach out that far.

Once that's been accomplished, the surface needs to be mulched and that's it: you never water again! Yes, you read that correctly; if you want your plant to lead a long and happy life don't ever water it once it's in the ground. I'll explain the reason behind this rule shortly.

More nonsense has probably been written about how to water Japanese maples than any other aspect of their care. Correction, endless reams of nonsense have been written about all aspects of how to look after Japanese maples but get the watering regime wrong and it's the quickest route to a dead plant! If you're looking for other ways to kill your maple, I can cover those in later posts if you like.

I have very strong opinions about how to grow Japanese maples and I tend to disagree with most 'experts' and practically everybody else who's held a view on them. If you make a habit of reading my posts over any length of time and have come across information on a particular method elsewhere that contradicts what I say, you'll probably come to the same conclusion that I'm opinionated! Fortunately, I've had thirty years experience of growing them and now know how to keep them alive.

The reasons and explanations of why you're never going to water your Japanese maple again once it's been planted are quite long but cover some very important lessons applicable to most plants, so I'll give you the definitive advice tomorrow. In the meantime, if you're planning to go for a walk in the woods, see if you can spot anybody carrying a watering can!