In autumn, the field maple shows its most beautiful side as a hedge or tree with bright yellow-orange leaves. A small care program now comes at the right time to arm the modest deciduous tree for the hardships of winter. This guide explains which measures now promote vitality and beauty.

Field maple turns golden yellow in autumn

Potassium strengthens winter hardiness - this is how it works

The field maple is not born with its robust frost hardness of up to - 40 degrees Celsius. The winter hardiness gradually builds up over the course of the first few years. Until then, give the shrub or tree a helping hand with a potassium-rich fertilizer. The main nutrient lowers the freezing point in the cell water and strengthens the cell walls, so that freezing frost has fewer opportunities to attack. How to administer the fertilizer correctly:

  • In the fall, mulch the root disc with compost and sprinkle with potassium-rich comfrey manure
  • Alternatively, fertilize with Patentkali or Thomaskali in September

Irrespective of whether you fertilize organically or mineral-organically, it should then be watered abundantly. This ensures that field maple fully absorbs the administered nutrients.

Cut back for a neat appearance - this is how you do it right

When the autumn color festival on the Feldahorn is coming to an end, the time window opens for a shape and maintenance cut. With the beginning of the sap dormancy, the deciduous tree copes with a pruning much better than in the middle of the growth phase. You can cut back Maßholder hedges and treetops well into late winter. You should pay attention to this:

  • Thin out the bush or crown thoroughly beforehand
  • Ideally, set intersection points just above a leaf node
  • Cut hedge shrubs in a trapezoidal shape with a wide base and narrow crown

If you have prescribed a rejuvenation pruning for your field maple, you can carry out the measure in autumn and winter from October 1st to February 28th. Outside of this time, trees may not be planted to protect wildlife.

tips

Autumn is the ideal planting time for field maples. In October and November, the soil has stored the heat of the sun deeply, so that the bush or tree takes root quickly. During this time tree nurseries and garden centers have inexpensive root stock ready for you, which you can plant without hesitation until the first frost.

Category:

Trees