Hello everyone, I'm thinking about planting an Acer japonicum 'Attaryi' in a fairly prominent position in my backyard. It would receive direct unfiltered sun for 7-8 hours, from roughly 7:00 am to 2-3:00 pm. Is this too much sun? I would like this cultivar to go there, but can swap it for a more sun-tolerant maple if need be. Also, if you have an 'Attaryi', what light conditions do you grow it and how does it respond? Thanks!
Prairiestyle, I hope you get some good advice on this one. I also have just purchased Attaryi and have it in a pot wanting to find the perfect location. I am thinking I need to find a sunny spot to get the most color in the fall. I am not looking at as much sun as you have, but will be curious to see what someone says. I didn't see anything in Maples for Gardens about sun/shade. Kay
You can not compare sun in the mid West with sun in Illinois or in Italy or in Northern Ireland by simply counting hours
Kay, It is a beautiful cultivar, isn't it? I love how the leaves look as they're unfolding. whis4ey, OK, I'll be more specific. 7-8 hours of direct sun, with temperatures reaching the upper 90's/lower 100's (35-40 degrees C) in late July and August. Afternoon humidity in those months averaging 80-85%
Me neither -- I moved here to Maine to get away from that kind of thing. Prairiestyle, do you have success with other JM varieties in your hot summers? Sometimes it seems to me there's a certain "touch" involved with this kind of thing; some gardeners seem quite sensitive to the needs of plants in their particular growing conditions and can keep the most unlikely things happy and thriving.
Yeah, I've had one for about eight years that I saved from being thrown away by a neighbor (most of the top had died off). I'm pretty sure it's a Bloodgood but have never had that suspicion 100% confirmed. Anyways, it has thrived in my yard -- granted it gets only about 2 hours of direct mid-day sun. I also have about 15 other (younger) cultivars which are all similarly doing well, though they also receive lesser amounts of direct sun (4-5 hours at very most). I'm surely a novice with these guys, especially compared to many of the people here, but at least they all seem happy. :-) And I should mention that those temperatures are the extreme highs - it doesn't stay that hot but it can surely get there!
Kay, It is a beautiful cultivar, isn't it? I love how the leaves look as they're unfolding. It really is. I just happened to see it in a nursery and had to have it. I'm curious prairiestyle, where abouts in the wonderfully warm and humid prairie are you located? As far as soil, is it nice and deep or leaning to the dry side? I would think this might make a difference on your siting of Attaryi with that much sun and heat. If the root structure can develop, you can probably get away with it. By the way, about how mature/big a maple is it at this point? I had some trouble figuring out where to plant mine, but I'm sure it will take some sun to make the colors good, don't you think? The only worry I have with where I planted mine is that it will have some root competition, so I'll have to watch my watering for a couple years. Mine was in a gal pot and about 2+ feet high. The pot was full of roots, but not rootbound, so I'm hoping it will take off. It looks like a vigorous grower. Kay
Japonicums do better with their leaves wet as the moisture in the air from humidity or from marine air can act as a topical leaf coolant and hot wind protectant for the tree. One of the reasons why we liked giving these Japonicums and Shirasawanums overhead sprinkler irrigation prior to nightfall. Too much or prolonged wetness on the leaves can cause other issues however such as Spring and/or Summer leaf spot or rust causing organisms to wreak havoc at times.. Grown here with warm to hot conditions with low humidity and prevalent saline to alkaline soils is it is prudent to give these trees some afternoon protection both from sun and from hot winds. In areas of Oregon or along the Central to Northern Coast and inland Coastal areas near here, in more acid soils than seen where I am, these plants can do pretty well in all day full sun but the one requirement is that they get some nighttime cooling that we do not readily get here. It is not so much the heat that scorches the leaves it is that with so little change in the high temperatures for the day and the nighttime low temperatures during the Summer months we see a lot more wind desiccation than other areas do. The leaves and roots just do not get an opportunity to cool off and thus Summer leaves are more prone to be injured or are just plain unsightly in some areas.. I'd provide some later afternoon shade for your plant but I'd want to know more of your soil type and the limitations of your soil but then again I want to put the tree in one spot and leave it there. We advise people around here not have it out in a landscape all by its lonesome without a larger tree nearby to help sun and wind protect the tree. The best possible landscape setting for us is an Eastern exposure with unimpeded morning sun until midday or early afternoon and then have the tree completely protected from the hot sun and winds for the rest of the Summer day.. Sometime take a good, hard look at Gomero's setting as an example or NJACER's planting layout for their Maples and then ponder that perhaps what they are trying to do and provide for their plants may be an ideal situation for you to grow your Attaryi in.. Jim
Kay, I live in Omaha, Nebraska. From what I've seen around here the soil is mostly clay- heavy clay. Fortunately, my backyard backs up to a creek which never runs dry and the soil, while clay, really isn't overly dense - it breaks apart readily and is quite easy to dig into and break up, whether dry or wet. It also seems to soak up moisture pretty well. I'd guess (though I have no idea) that this soil type goes down to the water table, which is about 12-15 feet below where I'm wanting to plant the 'Attaryi' - who is still a little guy about 3 feet tall. Jim, Though I've never pH tested it, I'm assuming my soil is also alkaline. The tree would slightly be standing alone, though the property has rather heavy forestation along the creek and mature trees/vegetation along the perimeter (which usually act as a pretty good windbreak). I was thinking about planting it about 10-15 feet behind our house near the edge of our patio. It would be getting eastern exposure, with the mid-afternoon shade coming from our house. I've seen Gomero's and NJACER's pictures and would love to replicate their beauty in my own yard! But I'll give them another look and see if I can figure out what sun/shade conditions they work with. Thank you everyone for your replies!
