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Silver maple is an unusual tree with a pyramidal or asymmetrical crown. It has a long lifespan, short flowering and beautiful leaves with a silvery underside. The plant is unpretentious, although it needs regular watering and rare feeding. How to plant and care for it is described in detail below.
Description of silver maple
Silver maple, also called sugar maple (Acer saccharinum), is a tree from the maple family, although other sources classify it as a sapindaceae. It grows naturally in the eastern United States and on the border with Canada. It is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and winter hardiness, therefore it is also cultivated in Russia.
The bark of the silver maple has different colors. In a young tree it is light gray and smooth. In older adults, it becomes dark and covered with numerous flake-like scales.
The leaves of the silver maple are of a simple type, located opposite each other (opposite). Each of them consists of five blades, between which there are deep finger-shaped notches.At the same time, the edges are rough-serrated. The length of the plate reaches from 8 to 16 cm, in width - from 6 to 12 cm.
Silver maple got its name due to the characteristic shade of foliage
The outer surface of the leaf blade is light green, matte. The leaves below are pale silver, with a whitish tint. They grow on rather long (5-12 cm), but thin petioles. In autumn, silver maple becomes especially attractive - the leaves turn red, turn yellow and fall off at the end of October.
Flowers are monoecious, i.e. Each tree grows both male and female. Therefore, self-pollination is often observed; it is not necessary to plant two plants to form seeds. They appear in the second half of May, and not for long - only 7-12 days. The color is red, sometimes greenish. The flowers are small, but they are united in small panicles, which are clearly visible even from a distance.
Silver maple forms fruits quite late - only next spring, and closer to mid-May. They are represented by lionfish, which consist of two wings of the same size with one seed. The sizes are quite large. Each wing reaches 3-5 cm in length and 1-1.2 cm in width. The seeds are quite heavy, so they are spread not so much by the wind as by streams of water - streams, flowing sediments.
The roots are not able to take water from great depths, so silver maple needs regular watering.
Height and shape of silver maple crown
The culture takes a very long time to grow. The lifespan of silver maple reaches 110-130 years and sometimes longer.An adult tree already grows in height up to 5 m in the first decade, and 10 m in 20 years. Then the growth rate weakens to 20-25 cm per year.
A characteristic feature is that the trunk is quite short, while the branches first grow down and then begin to bend upward. Thanks to this, the silver maple produces a very lush, rounded crown. It is not too thick, so the tree forms a pleasant partial shade, and not a continuous “screen”.
Scheme of growth rates of silver maple
Silver maple varieties
There are two main varieties of wood: Pyramidale and Laciniatum Vieri. They differ in crown shape and growth rate.
Pyramid
Silver maple Pyramidale is represented by trees up to 20 m high. The crown is quite wide, reaching 6 m in diameter and sometimes more. The name comes from its characteristic pyramidal shape. Unlike Lapiniatum Vieri, the Pyramidale variety has a symmetrical crown. It is this feature that many gardeners like.
The variety is distinguished by a lush pyramidal crown
The frost resistance of the plant is very high, and good immunity is also noted. But it is worth keeping in mind that even in the climatic conditions of central Russia, this variety of silver maple does not produce flowers. They can only appear when grown in a milder climate, for example, in the south of the country.
One of the advantages of Pyramidal silver maple is that it is wind resistant. Therefore, such plants can be planted both in protected and completely open areas. However, it is worth keeping in mind that the crown of the tree needs regular pruning. In general, the tree grows quite quickly, but only with constant watering.
Laciniatum Vieri
The variety Laciniatum Wieri is represented by trees of medium height.Adult representatives reach 20 m, but no more. At the same time, the crown is spreading, growing from 8 to 15 m in width. Its shape is asymmetrical, the branches hang freely, and practically do not curve upward.
The leaves of this variety are heavily cut
A characteristic feature is that the silver maple Laciniatum Vieri blooms even before the leaves bloom. The inflorescences have a rich reddish-brown color. At the same time, the fruits are almost inconspicuous. The leaf blades are deeply lobed, with strong cuts. Their color after blooming is green with a bronze tint. Then the leaf blades become lighter, and on the reverse side they remain whitish-silver - a typical feature of the species.
The variety is winter-hardy, withstands frosts down to -34 degrees in open ground. This tree can be grown in different regions of Russia, including Siberia and the Urals. But it should be taken into account that the silver maple Laciniatum Vieri is not resistant to winds, so it is better to plant in a protected place.
Grows well in slightly acidic or neutral soil with a loose structure. It is advisable to grow in fertile soil, but silver maple is also tolerant of depleted soil. If there is excess alkalinity, the foliage will begin to turn yellow.
Landing rules
Silver maple, unlike the more common species in Russia (holly, field, white, Tatarian and others), is more sensitive to temperature conditions. It is recommended to start planting no earlier than the first half of May, when return frosts are no longer expected.
A place to plant a silver maple must meet several requirements:
- protected from the wind, especially from the north side;
- sunny or with partial shade;
- well moistened, but at the same time not located in a low area where water often accumulates;
- with fertile and loose soil (although the tree also takes root on poor soils).
The process of planting a silver maple tree is quite simple. The soil is prepared in advance (digged and fertilized), and then proceed as follows:
- Several planting holes of standard sizes are formed. Depth and width are 60-70 cm.
- A layer of small stones, for example, expanded clay or pebbles up to 10 cm high, is placed at the bottom.
- Next, the seedling is planted in the center and covered with a fertile mixture.
- Lightly compact the soil, leaving the root collar flush with the surface. It is allowed to deepen it a little - a maximum of 3 cm.
- Water with settled water and after a few days lay a layer of straw, sawdust, grass clippings or other mulch.
Silver maple is planted in open areas
Care instructions
The tree requires special care only in the first years after planting. Silver maple needs to be watered regularly (if there is no precipitation, then weekly), often loosen the soil, and if necessary, also do weeding. Fertilizers are applied several times per season:
- After the snow melts, give a mixture of urea (40 g), potassium salt (25 g) and superphosphate (50 g).
- At the end of May, they are fed with complex fertilizer, for example, azofoska.
- At the beginning of autumn, it is recommended to dust the tree trunk circle with wood ash or pour it with infusion - 200 g per 10 liters of water.
Also, silver maple must be protected from frost, especially if the variety is not winter-hardy. At the end of autumn, the plantings are mulched - carefully hilled up and covered with dry leaves.In early spring, sanitary pruning is carried out - old and diseased branches are removed. In the fall, a shaping haircut is done as needed.
Reproduction of silver maple
Silver maple can be propagated in several ways, the main ones being cuttings and grafting. Cuttings are easier to perform because the method is less labor-intensive. For propagation, young shoots 25 cm long with one pair of leaves are cut off at the beginning of summer.
An oblique lower cut is made and placed overnight in a solution of a growth stimulator, for example, Heteroauxin. Then they are planted in a fertile soil mixture, covered with a transparent jar, and regularly watered and ventilated. For the winter, they are dug into a permanent place in the garden and carefully covered with leaf litter and other mulch.
You can try growing silver maple from seeds. They are collected at the end of spring and stored at room temperature. At the beginning of winter, place it in a bag of sand with peat moss or vermiculite 1:1. Then moisten generously and put in the refrigerator for 3-4 months.
After undergoing stratification in mid-May, they are planted under film in open ground and watered abundantly. When the shoots appear, they are thinned out, continued to be watered and fed. Then they are carefully covered for the winter. If there are severe frosts in the region, it is better to grow seedlings at home in the first year and only transfer them to open ground the following spring.
Diseases and pests
Silver maple only rarely suffers from diseases, such as the fungal infection of coral spot. At the first detection (convex pink spots), it is necessary to remove all affected branches, take them away and burn them, and treat the tree itself with one of the fungicides:
- "Bordeaux mixture";
- "Profit";
- "Fundazol".
There is also a danger from pests - silver maple can suffer from weevils, mealybugs and whiteflies. Effective means are used to combat them:
- "Fufanon";
- "Inta-Vir";
- "Colorado".
Application in landscape design
Silver maple is suitable for single plantings, especially next to the road, against the backdrop of a lawn, near a flower garden or a country pond. It is also used to form hedges. Examples of using wood to decorate a garden look like this:
- Single landing.
- Placement in rows.
- The seating option nearby is expensive.
Conclusion
Silver maple is one of the best trees for garden decoration. Used in single plantings, as well as to create hedges. Growing it is not so difficult, but you must remember the requirement for regular watering. Thanks to this, the seedling will quickly grow to a mature tree and will decorate the garden with a spreading crown.
