How to Grow Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) Green Maple Seeds? Plus the Differences Between Red Maple and Green Maple and Their Prices

Green maple generally refers to Acer palmatum (Japanese maple), of the family Aceraceae, with dark gray bark. It is distributed across provinces in East China, Central China and Southwest China. It grows at low altitudes on forest edges or in open woods. Do you know the methods for growing green maple seeds? What are the differences between red maple and green maple? What is the price of green maple? Green maple is relatively shade-tolerant and grows well in the shade of tall trees. Its leaves are attractive in shape, turning bright red after autumn arrives, as colorful as flowers and as brilliant as rosy clouds, making it an excellent foliage tree species.

I. Methods for Growing Green Maple Seeds

1. Soil conditions: The soil should be a sunny, fertile, loose sandy loam with a pH between 5.5 and 7, good drainage, strong water- and fertilizer-retention capacity, and deep soil layers.

2. Preparation before sowing: Deep plowing should be done before winter to promote soil weathering and eliminate underground pests. After spring begins, weeds should be removed promptly, with careful and thorough cultivation to achieve fine soil and level beds. Then apply basal fertilizer superphosphate at 500-600 jin per mu, 1 jin per sq m. Then gently press the bed surface flat with a wooden board.

3. Sow in time: Sowing time is generally from late January to early-to-mid February. Choose sunny, windless and warm weather for sowing. The sowing density is 0.025 jin per sq m, sown evenly over the bed surface. Then cover with soil, using soil rich in organic matter from the mountains, with a covering thickness just enough to cover the seeds. Cover the top with rice straw to help retain moisture, keep warmth and provide shade, then lay nylon film flat over it.

4. Field management: Seedlings can emerge 28-30 days after sowing. Check the field growth conditions frequently, remove the rice straw and change the flat covering to a small arched shed covering, and water frequently to keep the soil moist. On sunny days, remove the film before 9 a.m. and cover it again after 4 p.m. to prevent low-temperature freezing at night and in the early morning, and to prevent high temperatures from damaging the seedlings at noon on sunny days. During watering, apply one topdressing at the same time, spraying 1-1.5 kg of urea added to 50 kg of water to promote normal growth of the seedlings. Gradually harden the seedlings to achieve strong, healthy plants. When the seedlings grow to 2-3 leaves, robust and disease-free ones can be selected and sold or transplanted in batches.

II. Differences Between Red Maple and Green Maple

In written form, green maple should be called Acer palmatum, also known as chicken-claw maple. The tree does not grow as tall as red maple, but the difference is not great. The leaves of green maple are green, sometimes turning yellow depending on the season, but not completely yellow, rather a yellow with green in it. As a valuable native tree species, green maple is also the most widely used in landscaping. Green represents vitality and can contrast with other colors, creating a different kind of scene.

Red maple is a variety of Acer palmatum. Sometimes people also call it red-face maple. It is a bit taller than green maple, but its leaves are basically red in all four seasons, only gradually turning green in autumn, though they still turn red again. As a colorful-leaf tree species in China, red maple is also used in a very wide range. It is mainly famous for its color, which is vivid and red as fire, with particularly high ornamental value.

III. Prices of Green Maple Trees

1. Trunk diameter: 8 cm

Height: 400 cm

Crown width: 300 cm

Price: 180 yuan/tree

2. Height (cm): 250

Crown width (cm): 120

Ground diameter (cm): 4

Price: 60.00 yuan/tree