Hi, this might be a goofy question, but is there any reason why I could not plant Japanese maples on a steep slope? My backyard is mostly a steep hill (+30%), and I'm running out of room on my side yard for plantings. Would I have to level out an area for planting or do anything special for preparation of the planting sites? There are other oaks and such growing on the slope, but I don't know some of these maples are more finnicky than others. Thanks!
Is your slope sunny? Maples The red Japenese ones do not care for the hot sun. I planted one in a location that gets alot of sun and also one that is morning sun location. Five years later the sunny location did not grow the leaves look crunchy but the other non-sunny location has taken off and it is now more then 10 feet tall and they both were about 3 feet tall to start. Just a thought maybe somebody else has more info for you.
If exposure and soil suitable main thing is compensating for grade with soil retention techniques. Type of plant being installed does not really have an effect on this, search "planting slopes" etc. for ideas.
These maples grow naturally on steep slopes in mountainous areas of Japan. They appreciate the good drainage. The main difference is the summers are rainy in Japan, so you will probably need to irrigate during dry periods of summer. Also keep an eye on the base of the trunk, and make sure soil or mulch doesn't get piled up against the bark due to the slope.
