How much does a five-lobed maple (Acer elegantulum) sapling cost per tree? Detailed planting methods

Five-lobed maple is a tall deciduous tree, also known as Dijin maple, Se wood, Yajiao maple, etc. It is a very popular ornamental garden tree species, mainly distributed in North China and Northeast China. So, how much do five-lobed maple saplings cost? How to plant five-lobed maple? Let's find out together below!

1. How much do five-lobed maple saplings cost?

Five-lobed maple saplings are on the lower end of maple prices and are cheaper than other maple species. Generally, a 1-year-old five-lobed maple sapling about 1 m tall with a crown width of about 0.8 m costs about 1.5 yuan per plant. Other maple saplings, such as Japanese red maple saplings and American red maple saplings, are slightly more expensive; Japanese red maple saplings cost about 8 yuan per plant, and American red maple saplings cost about 3 yuan per plant.

2. How to plant five-lobed maple?

1. Propagation methods

① Cuttage: Five-lobed maple saplings are generally cut in June and July. Select vigorous current-year branches as cuttings, dip them in 1000 ppm naphthalene acetic acid powder, then insert them into a substrate of vermiculite or half perlite and half pond mud. Pay attention to shading and spraying water to maintain moisture; roots can form in about 1 month.

② Sowing: The best time to sow maple is March and April. Before sowing, irrigate the seedbed with enough bottom water, and sow after the water has seeped down and the soil is moist. After sowing, cover with 0.5 cm of fine soil; seedlings generally emerge in about half a month.

③ Grafting: For five-lobed maple grafting, use 3-year-old Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) seedlings as rootstock. Cut grafting is suitable in spring, approach grafting is best done during the plum rain season, and bud grafting is best carried out from late May to late June each year and from late August to late September after autumn.

2. Site selection and land preparation

For maple, it is best to choose sloped land with deep soil, fertile soil, and good drainage for planting. Use different land preparation methods according to different landforms: strip preparation for gentle slopes, and pit preparation for forest land with thinner soil and steeper slopes. Land preparation can be done 1-2 months before afforestation.

3. Timely planting

Maple can be planted in early spring or late autumn and early winter, with spring being best. Before planting, first cut off broken roots, damaged roots, and overly long roots. When planting, follow the method of “three burials, two tramplings, and one lifting of the seedling.” After planting, water for settling the roots can be applied where conditions permit.

4. Loosening soil and weeding

In the juvenile stage, maple should be loosened and weeded about 2 times per year: the 1st time in late April, and the 2nd time in early August. When weeding, loosen the soil at the same time, and expand the tree pit outward from the planting hole to promote root growth and increase sapling survival rate.

5. Fertilization management

Fertilizing five-lobed red maple is relatively simple. In the juvenile stage, apply quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer 3 times from early May to early August, supplemented with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. In late September, combine with deep plowing and soil improvement to apply one winter fertilizer mainly based on organic fertilizer. For adult trees, apply base fertilizer during the dormant period and carry out soil topdressing during the growing period to promote growth.

6. Shaping and pruning

Winter pruning of maple is carried out from leaf fall in late autumn to before germination the next spring, with early spring being suitable. Methods include heading back, thinning branches, renewal pruning, and stumping. Summer pruning is carried out after germination until leaf fall in autumn, and methods include bud removal and sprout removal, pinching, branch bending, and branch pulling.

7. Disease and pest control

Common diseases of five-lobed maple include brown spot disease and powdery mildew. When disease occurs, spray with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 1000 times dilution. Pests mainly include yellow stinging caterpillar and glossy green longhorn beetle, etc., and control methods such as spraying pesticides and placing poison bait can be used.

The above are the planting methods for five-lobed maple compiled for you by Tuliu.com.