my husband bought me a bloodgood japanese maple for my birthday. We just put up a fence in our back yard and i was thinking of putting the tree in the nw corner of the yard. It is a sheltered neighborhood. Will it be too sunny. I know when the tree is small it may be sheltered after 3:00 but when the tree grows it will alway be in the sun. I dont know where to plant it. Can you prune these trees and keep them small. Please help.
Plant in suitable exposure with room to grow. Purple-leaved Japanese maples always need to have some afternoon shade regardless of how old they are, in those climates and sites where the appearance and condition of their leaves is liable to deteriorate during hot weather. 'Bloodgood' is a full-sized Japanese maple growing over 30' tall where conditions permit. Although seedlings are often sold in place of the true cultivar larger-than-shrub-sized development is still to be expected. However, some pruning to control size is still possible without destroying the specimen. See discussion in Vertrees/Gregory, JAPANESE MAPLES (Timber Press). A public libary near you may have this book.
years from now when the tree is big will it not get sun from all directions. I did not realize it was going to be that difficult to find the perfect place. My front yard gets morning sun and is shaded in the afternoon. Is that enough sun for my tree. thank you very much for your help and advice.
Afternoon is the time when you want to have shade on plants that are damaged by hot sun. Maybe you new tree won't cook in the spot you have for it anyway. Japanese maples are woodland trees in nature but originate in southeast Asia where there is a similar summer climate to that of eastern North America. Out here we have dry summers where such plants may be more likely to deteriorate unless on a more humid site than usual, such as one that has a large liberally irrigated lawn or a body of open water nearby.
Most Japanese Maples from the nursery trade are grown in fields or in pots. There is generally no shade in a 20 acre field of Japanese maples and other varieties of trees. I would not worry about it too much.
were I live in Ohio no one really has their bloodgoods in shade. They pretty much get full sun all day and they look great. My dad has one in full sun and its 9 foot now and going strong.
Fading and burning are common on unshaded properties here not providing some source of extra moisture such as liberal irrigation or an open body of water. Hardy hybrid rhododendrons are also grown in full sun in open fields yet in the final planting site some shade is needed for optimal results. For starters once planted into the home or commercial landscape such specimens may not receive the frequent overhead irrigation often employed by growers. They may also not end up on the same fine-textured, moisture-retentive soil favored by growers producing balled-in-burlap plants.