The maple tree is one of the most iconic and oldest types of trees in the world. Maple is one of the strongest kinds of woods available in the world, and it is commonly used in a variety of different applications.
Maple wood furniture is incredibly popular, but also quite expensive. Maple trees are generally quite big and require a considerable amount of care, so you need to make sure that you care for them properly.
Maple trees can generally live for years to come, but they do require care and attention. There are older maple trees that have lived for decades, but you need to get the conditions right if you want the plants to grow properly.
In most cases, a maple tree can live anywhere between 130 to 300 years. In fact, the sugar maple is capable of surviving up to 400 years if you know how to care for it properly. But, for that to happen, the plant must be cared for in an exceptional manner.
It’s obviously not as easy as it looks, and you have to be particularly careful that the plant gets access to adequate amounts of water and the conditions are just right. If you want to make the maple plant live longer, there are quite a few things that you can do on your own.
There are quite a few things that you can do to promote the growth of maple trees, starting with the provision of the right conditions. Because these trees are so big, they need space to grow.
Here are a few things that you should know about growing these trees, and what you can do to care for them.
Rate of Growth
One of the first things that we need to talk about is the rate of growth of the plant. During the course of its life, a red maple tree, also known as the sugar maple, is capable of growing up to a height of 100 feet.
However, the smaller variants, such as the Japanese maple, are capable of reaching up to eight feet in height. That’s about it. Now, the important thing that you need to know is that different kinds of maple trees have different types of growth rates.
It primarily depends on the kind of maple tree you have. These are deciduous trees, as you might know, and are generally popular because they are able to provide a considerable amount of shade throughout the course of their life.
Annually, the sugar maple tree is capable of increasing its height by up to 24 inches, though on average, it’s just between 15 and 18 inches. The Japanese maple, which is another popular variety, does not grow more than 13 inches.
Now, there are quite a few things that you can do to increase the lifespan of the maple tree. If you want the plant to continue giving off its shade, there are several things that you should keep in mind.
Here are some simple ways to improve the lifespan of the maple tree.
Environment
As mentioned above, creating the right environment could have a major impact on the tree itself. The sugar maple is usually able to thrive in hardiness zones designated in the US 3 and 8.
On the other hand, the Japanese maple is only able to grow between hardiness zones 5 and 8. You need to understand that the lifespan of the maple tree is considerably reduced if the plant is required to live in extremely cold environments.
Similarly, the lifespan of the plant is also affected if the plant receives a considerable amount of heat, or if the amount of humidity is incredibly high.
Pests and Diseases
Proper care needs to be taken to ensure that the plant does not succumb to pests and diseases over the passage of time. You need to understand that the plant is susceptible to a considerable amount of diseases over the passage of time, such as aphids and borers. Even scales can be a problem.
Apart from that, the plant can also fall prey to a series of diseases such as cankers disease, tar spots, leaf spots, and many others.
If you want to care for the plant in the best possible manner, it is incredibly important that you keep it away from pests and diseases. Red and silver maple, which are two of the most popular variants, are generally soft-wooded, so they are also affected by excessive wind storms over the passage of time.
You need to make sure that you check the plant from time to time and make sure that it receives proper care. Maples are wounded quite easily by mechanical devices, so you have to make sure that you avoid bringing mechanical devices around it.
If you notice the plant is infested by harmful aphids or other pests such as mealy bugs, you need to take action as quickly as possible.
For starters, you should consider using insecticides that are designed to deal with the problem. You need to take appropriate care and make sure that the plant also receives adequate amounts of fertilizer.
It’s recommended that you inspect the plant at least once every few months and identify problems.
Because these are soft-wooded plants, you should know that it doesn’t take long for aphids and other pests to make a home inside. Before you know it, the plant might succumb to its injuries and may begin to die.
Therefore, the best thing you can do is hire an arborist from time to time to get an assessment about the overall health of the plant.
You have to make sure the plant receives the adequate amounts of nutrition that it deserves. The best thing to do would be to add fertilizer to the base of the plant from time to time as well.
These are just a few things that are going to keep the plant healthy and improve its lifespan by a considerable margin.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.