On 4/29/2015 10:12 AM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 4/29/2015 4:53 AM, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 4/29/2015 5:43 AM, herb white wrote:
I recently purchased an autumn blaze maple tree about 6 feet tall. I would like any info on how to plant it. Thanks for any reply


Dig the hole twice as wide as the rootball and one and a half time as
deep. Backfill with soil and a handful of high-phosphorus fertilizer,
plus a handful of magnesium sulphate (epsom salts - maples love it).
Water to settle the loose soil. Set the tree so that the top of the
rootball is just about at ground level; fill will more soil and a
sprinkling of additional fertilizer/epsom salts.
Keep slightly damp for the first few months while the root system gets
established.
If the tree's canopy is thin and you're in a climate with intense sun,
protect the trunk from sun scorch with a plastic sleeve or tree wrap;
that's especially important in the months when the leaves are off the
tree.
Anchoring trees with stakes and rope/guy wires is not recommended; if
you feel you must, make sure to remove them at the end of the first
growing season. The motion of trees rocking in the wind actually
stimulates root developing, so anchoring them puts them at a growth
disadvantage.


"High-phosphorus fertilizer" would be either bone meal or
superphosphate.

The advantage of bone meal is that it takes a long time to completely
break down, so it's a long-term source of phosphorus. The disadvantage
of bone meal is that it takes a long time for that process to begin
(since it relies on decomposition and warming soil
temperatures/bacteria to perform the process), which is why applying a
chemical fertilizer at planting time - with some bone meal, if you
want to - is better. You want phosphorus to be available when the root
growth begins.

I would not sprinkle more phosphorus fertilizer on top
of the soil since it does not readily dissolve and travel through the
soil.

Correct. I place some below the root ball, and some more about
half-way up. Phosphorus travels downward through soil too slowly for
top-dressing to be effective when transplanting.

Instead, it needs to be placed where the roots will find it. An
exception would be phosphoric acid, but I would fear that would be too
strong to apply to a newly planted tree because it might burn the
already traumatized roots.

Any type of fertilizer can burn if it is over-applied, but personally
I've never had an issue with chemical fertilizers, probably because
I'm not in the habit of over-applying them.


Unless your soil drains very well, I would stir 2-3 handsful of gypsum
into the planting hole. Gypsum (calcium sulfate) chemically breaks up
heavy soils.

Realistically, gypsum is only effective in breaking up sodic soils -
clay soils that are high in sodium. Thing is, not all clay soils are
sodic. Generally you see them in coastal regions, but not so much in
the center of the country. For instance, the county I reside in has
heavy clay soils that are high in calcium. Applying gypsum is a waste
of effort and money. Also, the amount one needs to apply to actually
make a difference is far more than most people usually apply.

My soils are mostly clay. With a house lot that is
slightly less than 0.25 acre -- including the footprint of my house -- I
apply over 250 pounds of gypsum to my garden every other year.

IIRC, you live in a coastal area, so gypsum is beneficial for your
soil. We don't know where the OP is located.

Maples require a humid climate and well-draining, acidic soil.


Autumn Blaze (which is what the OP is planting) is a hybrid resulting
from a cross of red maple and silver maple. Red maples actually prefer
damp to wet soils and can even tolerate periods of standing water.
Autumn Blaze inherits that from its red maple parent. It's not too
particular about soil pH, either. It will grow rapidly and well just
about anywhere, like its silver maple parent. Unlike silver maples, it
is not a heavy producer of seeds and is less subject to wind damage.
But because of its very fast rate of growth, it is susceptible to
growth splits along its trunk. Keep the trunk protected from sun for
the first few years and the splitting should be minimal and mainly
cosmetic. As the tree ages and the bark thickens the splitting will
ease off and any existing splits will heal. It can look a bit alarming
at first, but again - it's usually cosmetic damage that ceases with time.