Ever since its election as Tree of the Year in 2015 drew attention to the field maple, the career of the little brother of the sycamore and Norway maple has picked up speed. The robust all-rounder has everything that hobby gardeners want from the perfect hedge plant. These instructions will guide you step-by-step through the correct planting and maintenance of a field maple hedge.

Field maple is ideal as a hedge plant

Planting time in autumn scores with advantages

A long hedge or property fence requires the purchase of numerous field maple bushes, which is associated with correspondingly high costs. Bargain foxes invest in inexpensive, substrate-free roots. This growth form is planted between October and April as long as there is no freeze. In addition to the cost savings, hobby gardeners with limited free time appreciate the fact that planting can take place outside of the main season.

Bale and container goods have significantly higher prices because they can be planted in the ground all year round - even in summertime. Anyone who decides to plant when the weather is glorious often underestimates the high need for watering in the middle of the main season. So it is not uncommon for the expensive field maple hedge to wither away as a result of drought stress.

Site selection is subject to minimal restrictions

Field maple lives up to its reputation as a robust all-rounder when it comes to the choice of location. The list of unsuitable framework conditions is much shorter than the catalog of suitable site conditions. Acer campestre only give up in full shade, in acidic peat soil and under the influence of permanent waterlogging.

A field maple hedge achieves its optimum in a sunny to partially shaded location in any normal garden soil that may be calcareous. Under these ideal conditions, the hedge quickly reaches the desired height for reliable privacy protection.

Skillfully plant a field maple hedge - this is how you do it right

First mark the planned course of the hedge with a planting line. Lay out the young plants along the line at the correct planting distance. For root crops, dig a continuous planting ditch. For container or root ball plants with a planting distance of 30 cm, individual pits with twice the volume of the root ball are sufficient. Proceed as follows, step by step:

  • Simultaneously soak the roots of the shrubs in water during the excavation work
  • Enrich the excavation with compost and horn shavings
  • Loosen up the bottom of the trench with a rake for better rooting
  • Pull off the container, do not remove the bale lines, cut off roots that have been damaged
  • Plant the field maple in the ditch or pit while maintaining the previous planting depth
  • Only open bale cloths beforehand, as they will rot later

Tamp down the soil and water generously. Then spread out a layer of leaves or bark mulch, which serves as frost and moisture protection when planting before winter. Finally, cut back all shoots by at least a third to compensate for the lost root mass.

Avoid the 3 most common mistakes when planting - you should pay attention to this

If there are complaints about growth disorders after planting a field maple hedge, the following 3 rookie mistakes are behind the problems:

  • In the case of root or ball crops, there was no pruning by a third in the last step of planting
  • The root cloth was removed before planting
  • Poor water supply

During the harvest in the tree nursery, a large proportion of the root mass is lost from root and ball crops. The supply capacity of the shoots with water and nutrients is reduced accordingly. If there is no compensation through an adequate pruning, growth problems of the field maple hedge are inevitable. The removal of the bale cloths entails similar difficulties.

Modern drip irrigation does not meet the high water requirements of a field maple hedge after planting. The young shrubs can only root vigorously if they are watered generously and abundantly. This not only applies to the planting day itself, but is of essential relevance for the following weeks.

Uncomplicated care - cutting is the be-all and end-all

If you heed these recommendations for professional planting, the maintenance of your field maple hedge will be reduced to a minimum in the years to come. Strongly rooted Maßholder shrubs only require watering during summer droughts. The nutrient supply is limited to the one-off administration of compost with compost manure in autumn or spring.

The pivotal point in the care program is the pruning. The rapid growth in the first few years requires that you grab the scissors on at least two occasions so that your field maple hedge maintains a well-groomed appearance. Cut back the hedge during the sap dormancy in autumn or late winter and thin out the dead wood. The best time for a light grooming cut is just after St. John's Day. To protect breeding birds, pruning in summer is limited to the regrown shoot tips.

tips

Numerous classic hedge shrubs are not suitable as enclosures and privacy screens for the family garden. Thuja, yew or privet contain toxic substances that are harmful to the health of children and pets. Not so the local field maple. In contrast to the majority of its conspecifics, an Acer campestre does without toxic ingredients.

Category:

Trees