![]() ![]() Leaf scorch can be caused by a lack of soil moisture or excessive exposure. Best leaf color in partial shade, although full sun can be tolerated. Mulch helps retain soil moisture and keep roots cool. A full sun or part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in moist, organically rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soils.Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding qualities.It is drought tolerant when established and grows in most soils. ![]() 'Autumn Blaze' is excellent as a specimen planting and one of the most brilliant Japanese Maples for fall color. This Freeman Maple also provides some winter interest, with its smooth, thin, gray bark that becomes slightly furrowed with age. The delicate foliage holds its color for several weeks before shedding to the ground. Its dense, oval to rounded canopy of deeply cut, bright green leaves, turns brilliant orange-scarlet to crimson-red in fall. With this particular tree we will reduce (shorten) branches competing with the central trunk in order to encourage the central trunk or leader to assume the dominant position in the tree (see below photos). By reducing competing leaders you minimize the risk of branch failure and redirect energy from those branches by removing live tissue.Highly popular, award-winning Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' (Freeman Maple) is a fast-growing, large deciduous tree noted for its ascending branch habit and glorious fall color. The cables provide extra support for the weak v-shaped branch unions that are synonymous with Autumn Blaze maple trees. These are branches are most susceptible to high-wind branch failure, also know as sail effect. So this tree needs some extra TLC in the form of dynamic support cables. In the photos above, the lower branches have strong open unions, while the upper branches that look like v's have included bark. ![]() Included bark is bark wedged between a v-shaped branch union of co-dominant stems. Since the upper canopy has never been pruned, all its major branch unions (where they connect to the trunk) have developed significant cracks due to included bark. This blog features a 14” diameter Autumn Blaze maple that has been growing for 15+ years (see below photos). Unmaintained trees develop weak branch attachments (cracks) prone to failure, which ultimately can mean losing the entire tree. I’m not exaggerating here, they really do need regular care in order to stay in your landscape long-term. If an Autumn Blaze maple tree has been in your landscape for more than five to tens years without any structural or upper canopy pruning, please contact a certified arborist ASAP because these trees require regular pruning. Canopy Maintenance Prevents Broken Branches For a discussion on roots and root zones check out some of our other blogs related to that topic. The two major maintenance issues for this tree deal with the roots and the canopy. Regular pruning helps keep the structure of the tree sound and prevent some of the issues discussed/illustrated below. I planted an Autumn Blaze at my parent’s house 15 years ago and I prune it every year! My dad is always amazed at how much wood I remove from the tree on a yearly basis. Maintaining autumn blaze maples requires regular pruning every 3 to 5 years. To avoid problems with Autumn Blaze maple trees, property owners must invest in regular tree care. The tree tends to crack easily at branch unions, which leads to broken branches and property damage after even mild storms. The big drawback of the Autumn Blaze maple is its structural weakness. In addition, the Autumn Blaze is very hardy and can withstand a wide range of climatic conditions. The combination has been popular for 20 years in commercial and residential plantings thanks to the combination of gorgeous fall color and rapid growth - exactly what homeowners are seeking. The Autumn Blaze maple tree is a hybrid species comprised of half red maple and half silver maple. ![]()
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