Well-founded information on the root structure of field maple is few and far between. This results in numerous misjudgments regarding the root performance in breadth and depth. Before planting field maple as a slope reinforcement, hedge or house tree, we recommend reading this guide on the relationship between soil quality and Acer campestre root growth.
The field maple is a heart root
Field maple thrives as heart roots
Heartroots spread their roots in all directions. In cross-section, the root system forms a heart shape, which is where the name comes from. Typical for all maple species is an irregular development of the root system with a conspicuous emphasis on horizontal spread, combined with a high proportion of fine roots.
Close connection between soil quality and root growth
Since 1928 scientists have documented the root growth of field maple and its conspecifics. A direct connection between soil conditions and the degree of root penetration became apparent. The most important findings in a nutshell:
- Root penetration after 5 years in normal garden soil: vertically 1.40 m, horizontally 2.10 m
- Root depth of older maple on loess loam: 0.70 to 0.80 cm
- Root depth after 70 years in sandy-gravelly loam: 1.10 to 1.40 m
- Root depth after 70 years in Gleyboden: intensive only in the upper 0.40 m
- Root depth after 60 years in light gravel soil: 0.60 m to 0.70 m
House gardeners can see from this data that field maple is not always suitable as a comprehensive shrub planting for slope stabilization. The sandier the soil, the less depth the roots need to grow. Planted as a solitary house tree, a Maßholder is exposed to wind and weather without protection, so windthrow can be expected in gley soils with high groundwater, in flat gravel soils and in loess loam soil.
It is advantageous that when planting field maple as a regularly trimmed hedge, you do not have to worry about damage to sewage pipes, provided that the pipes are at a depth of at least 100 cm.
tips
Bonsai gardeners know how to use the heart roots of field maples for the spectacular "rock over stone" (seki-joju) style form. In the construction phase, a prominent stone is clamped under the roots and fixed with binding wire for some time. The roots of a field maple bonsai grow over the stone into the earth, so that the maintenance effort is not significantly different from other bonsai styles.