In addition to its lacey leaves, its foliage color furnishes landscaping interest for three seasons of the year: It begins dark purple in spring, turns purplish-red in summer, and morphs to a bright red in fall. Rounding out its claim to providing four-season interest, its weeping habit will attract attention even in winter. Inaba Shidare Japanese maple is best planted in the late fall or the early spring. Learn how to grow and care for this valued specimen.
Light
At the cooler end of its range, give Inaba Shidare Japanese maple full sun. The further south you are, the more it can profit from afternoon shade.
Soil
Plant Inaba Shidare Japanese maple tree in a rich soil that is well drained. To boost soil fertility, compost is an excellent choice, because it also helps out with soil structure, drainage, and moisture retention.
Water
Provide your tree with an evenly moist soil. The soil in its root zone should never dry out completely. But neither should you irrigate so much that the ground becomes waterlogged.
Temperature and Humidity
Inaba Shidare Japanese maple is cold-hardy enough (zone 5) to live in all but the coldest portions of the United States. It can survive the heat and humidity of a southern summer only down to zone 9, which excludes areas such as southern Florida. Given its preference for an evenly moist soil, it is not recommended for regions with extreme heat and low humidity, such as southern Arizona.
Fertilizer
Since Inaba Shidare Japanese maple likes a slightly acidic soil pH, fertilize it annually in early spring with a fertilizer meant for acid-loving plants.
Types of Japanese Maple Trees
In addition to weeping specimens such as ‘Inaba Shidare’ and ‘Crimson Queen,’ there are many types of Japanese maple trees. They come in different heights, with differently shaped leaves, and in different colors. Examples include:
‘Bloodgood’ (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’): ‘Bloodgood’ grows up to 20 feet tall, with red leaves and non-dissected foliage. Golden Full Moon (Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’): This tree grows up to 20 feet tall, with non-dissected leaves that come with 9 to 13 lobes. It has lime-to-chartreuse-tinged golden leaves and turns orange and red in fall. Acer palmatum ‘Harriet Waldman’: This type grows up to 15 feet tall. It has non-dissected leaves and the foliage is variegated, with new leaves starting out pink but eventually turning three colors (pink, white, and green).
Pruning
People with small yards may wish to keep their Inaba Shidare Japanese maple smaller than the maximum size for as long as they can. Luckily, the tree does not mind pruning, so you can keep it compact by pruning as needed in late winter while the plant is still dormant. If, however, you have no space constraints and want your specimen to get as big as possible so that it will show up better from the street, it is also perfectly all right not to prune Inaba Shidare Japanese maple.
Propagating Inaba Shidare Japanese Maple
You can propagate Inaba Shidare Japanese maple via cuttings:
How to Grow Inaba Shidare From Seed
Propagation can also be achieved by seeding:
Overwintering
As long as you do not live north of zone 5, you should not have to take any special steps to winterize Inaba Shidare Japanese maple. But if you are afraid the tree is not cold-hardy where you live, spread 3 inches of mulch across the root zone once the tree stops actively growing in late fall to provide insulation against winter’s cold.
Common Pests and Plant Diseases
The tree is susceptible to both insect pests and diseases which are more often damaging to young, immature trees. The most common pest is the Japanese beetle which can defoliate a young tree in a short amount of time. Other pests to watch for are scale, mites, borers and aphids. Aphids also carry plant diseases and leave behind a substance called honeydew which can lead to sooty mold on the leaves. Mites and aphids can sometimes be knocked down with a strong spray from a garden hose. Beetles, borers and scale will likely require treatment with organic or synthetic pesticides. Borers leave behind small mounds of sawdust where they enter the branch. Smaller branches can be pruned out to prevent further damage. Dormant oil applied in the late fall or early spring can also help reduce pest populations. Diseases affecting Inaba Shidare are verticillium wilt and psuedomonas blight. Wilt begins with the leaves and can move down into branches turning them black. Prune back to well below the blackened branches and avoid overwatering which exacerbates this soil borne disease. If the tree succumbs to verticillium wilt, do not plant another Japanese maple in its place. Psuedonomas is an airborne bacteria which can spread during moist soggy conditions. It also causes dieback but can be controlled with a copper based fungicide. Avoid causing any residual water to splash up on the leaves. A healthy plant is the best method for reducing problems caused by pests and disease. Keep a close eye on young trees since early intervention will increase chances for recovery.
Common Problems for Inaba Shidare
Most common problems are easily avoided by practicing sound garden hygiene, such as properly disposing of diseased plants, raking up leaves that build up around plants, and promoting good air circulation by spacing plants correctly and pruning when needed. Water in the morning to give the tree plenty of time to dry before nighttime temperatures drop and always water at ground level.
Leaf Spot
The namesake spots of leaf spot disease come in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. But they’re usually dark (or light with a darker margin) and rounded or irregular in shape. Luckily, they break out on the surface side of the leaf, so they are easily detected. This fungal disease is rarely fatal, but it inhibits photosynthesis, weakening your tree and making it more susceptible to other diseases.
Sunburn and Windburn
If you live in an area with hot, bright sunlight most of the day, or your property is subject to windy conditions, plant your Inaba Shidare in a protected area where it will receive some shade.
Discolored Leaves
If the colors on your Japanese maple are disappointing your tree may be getting too much fertilizer or not enough sunlight. Choose a location with the right amount of light before you plant or cut back on fertilization.
