Hi; I had a paperbark maple planted last fall. We've had some unnaturally warm weather here in Southern Ontario lately .. without much rain. Not really much snow this winter either. I pruned it in late February. Not too much either. Now, it appears spring is indeed here. While I know every tree is different .. my tree has really to take off while all the others around appear to be blossoming. It has some very small buds .. not very many. Should I give it tree spikes? and if so, what kind? Should I also follow a regular watering regiment? If so, How much, how often? I appreciate all the help I can get, Thank You .. Sharon in Ontario
Hi Sharon, Don't give the tree any fertilizer spikes. In fact, don't fertilize at all right now. If the buds look alive and the tree looks otherwise healthy just give it some time. Depending on seasonal conditions and locale trees will leaf out at different times. If you do decide to fertilize don't overdo it. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer. Don't try to push the tree. Let it do its thing. Layne
Sample soil and have it tested before fertilizing. If fertilizer indicated by soil analysis report, use appropriate formulation broadcast over surface at recommended rate, not packed together in spikes.
Acer griseum is the latest maple to leaf out. Here, in SW France, mines have just barely started to put out the leaves, I am not surprised that at your latitude it is still without leaves. I support Layne's and Ron's advices. Mine would be to mulch to give a better environment for healthy growth Gomero
Thanks for all the great advice. I'll hold off on doing anything just yet. Rather than using tree spikes or commercially produced fertilizer I was thinking of using mushroom compost. I used it last year in my totally relandscaped garden without any problems. I understand it is not as strong as sheep or cow manure. I know its not high in nitrogen. Do you think my Acer Griseum will respond well to this? Also, last year when planting all my plants I added mycorise to the soil. (The mycorise are nitrogen sensitive so that is why I choose to use mushroom compost.) However, when the tree was planted by the city I didn't have the opportunity to add it to the soil. Should I dig a wee bit around the tree and try to add it to the soil? Sharon
Spellcheck: Mycorrhiza. Means fungus + root, basically. Mushroom compost should just be spread as topdressing/mulch, not dug in.
I'd like to agree with what the other are saying: my paperbark maple only started stirring in May, this time a little earlier. It also has these dark, blackish buds, so If you are new to it, it might look alarmingly dead, but isn't at all. So, as I also understand that fertilizing maples in the ground is often unnecessary, I'd hold off until the leaves show, and it starts growing to decide on what you want to add.
