field maple origin

The field maple (Acer campestre) is a deciduous tree native to Europe and Asia. It has been cultivated in other parts of the world, including North America, and is now widespread in many parts of the world. It typically grows as a shrub or small tree, reaching heights of up to 12 m. At around 20 years of age, the field maple begins to flower and can live for up to 200 years.

In Greek mythology, the maple tree was associated with the god of war Ares. The Trojan horse is a symbol of war and bloodshed and the wood is said to have been made of maple. In Germany, doorsteps of houses and stables were covered with maple wood to ward off evil.

Like the human hand, the leaves of the maple have five fingers and are reminiscent of a hand spread out in defense. The Heyday of the field maple from March to April and the yellow-green flowers appear in small panicles. The five-lobed true leaves are arranged opposite and about 10 to 15 cm long and wideThey are dark green on the upper side and lighter on the underside. In autumn the leaves turn golden yellow to brownish red.
The Fruits of the field maple are wing nuts, which ripen from September to October. Each fruit is about 3 to 4 cm long and contains a small, spherical nut. Its leaves, branches and seeds are sometimes used in traditional medicine and cooking. Field maple leaves are sometimes made into a tea and are said to have anti-inflammatory properties.

Field Maple Care and Location

A suitable location for the field maple is a sunny to semi-shady place with permeable, fresh and calcareous soil. Waterlogging should be avoided

Pruning field maple

Field maple pruning should only be carried out when it is actually necessary, for example to remove damaged or diseased branches or to shape the tree. Otherwise you should give the tree as much freedom as possible when growing, since the field maple develops its natural growth habit by itself. If a pruning is necessary, it should only be done when the tree is in its dormant phase, i.e. either in late summer or in winter. In late summer, the tree has enough time to complete the interfaces and prepare for winter. A winter pruning has the advantage that the tree loses less sap since it is dormant at that time. When making the cut care should be taken to ensure that the cuts are clean and sharp and that the tree is left in a natural shape. Growth and health can be adversely affected by pruning that is too radical.

Fertilizing field maples

Field maples are hardy and undemanding trees, generally do not require special fertilization. In very nutrient-poor soils, a moderate amount of organic fertilizer or compost is occasionally useful. The fertilizer should not be applied directly to the roots to avoid damaging them. A balanced phosphorus-potassium fertilizer can be applied in early spring or fall.

Field maple in autumn - watering trees

Watering field maple

The field maple is a deep-rooted plant and should be watered rarely, but intensively and penetratingly. It does not tolerate a prolonged lack of water and the soil must never dry out completely, otherwise the fine roots can die off. As a result of climate change, hotter and drier periods are becoming more frequent, affecting nature and trees in particular. Depending on their location and the climate-related situation, it may be necessary to trim the field maple more frequently Giessen as previously.

Young field maples need regular watering to aid rooting. Mature trees usually do not need to be watered. However, they should be watered at least once a week during severe dry periods.
signs for Drought stress in field maples are drooping leaves, weak young branches, and discoloring or dying leaves. At the latest when such signs appear, the field maple should be watered.

The water requirements of a field maple depend on several factors such as the length of the dry period and the condition of the tree. A guideline is at Young trees 75 to 100 liters and for older trees, 15 liters per square meter of soil covered by the canopy, per watering. If measuring and calculating is too much for you, you should use this as a guideline for older trees 150 to 200 liters per watering to take.

When watering with the garden hose, a lot of water suddenly ends up on the tree. A lot of moisture is lost because it evaporates or drains away before it can reach the roots. With Irrigation bags watering is more efficient and water is even saved. The bags have two small holes at the bottom that allow the water to flow evenly over several hours Drip irrigation release to the ground. As a result, the water is better absorbed by the surrounding soil and by the roots than with conventional watering. The irrigation bag covers the surface of the soil, preventing water from evaporating.

Attaching and filling the watering bags is easy and uncomplicated. The bag is placed around the tree trunk like a jacket and closed with the zipper. In the next step, the sack is filled with enough water so that no creases can be seen after further alignment in the lower area and then let it fill up. In the case of trees with larger tree trunks, several bags can also be connected with the zipper. A layer of bark compost mulch around the root area is helpful in retaining moisture in the soil and suppressing weed growth.

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