- 1). Look for a prominent spot for the Japanese maple where it will serve as a focal point in the landscape. Select a well-drained site in full to partial sun.
- 2). Dig a hole two to three times wider than, but only as deep as, the tree's container. Place the tree in the hole with the root crown---where the roots meet the trunk---at the existing ground level. Back-fill the hole with the existing soil. Do not pack the soil too firmly. Spread leftover soil around the tree.
- 3
Perennials around a garden boulderboulder adorned by wildflowers image by Steve Marquez from Fotolia.com
Leave three feet of space on all sides of the Japanese maple for accent plants. Place a medium-sized boulder to the front left of the tree, three to four feet away from the tree trunk. Position the boulder in a small hole, one-fourth to one-third the depth of the boulder. Fill dirt around boulder. - 4
Japanese roof iris provides an effective display behind a boulder.Blue Iris image by PinkSkyPhotos from Fotolia.com
Install perennial plants, such as Japanese roof iris, behind the boulder. Plant a short ground cover, 6 to 8 inches tall, in front of the boulder, spacing them 8 to 12 inches apart. Apply mulch. - 5). Plant a different ground cover around the tree to accentuate the Japanese maple, spacing plants 12 to 18 inches apart. For example, using the design principle of contrast, plant a chartreuse ground cover such as creeping jenny to complement the reddish foliage of a Japanese maple. For trees with green foliage, select a red hued ground cover, such as creeping raspberry. Apply mulch.
