Experienced grower's notes on Japanese Maple

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Japanese Maple remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is formative pruning in the first five years to build a clear leader. Everything else follows from that.

scale insects or aphids in the canopy attracting sooty mould is the challenge that trips up most beginners and some experienced growers too. I've been growing mine in a small garden with a compact or columnar variety chosen for scale for three seasons now and the results are consistently good. canopy habitat for birds, insects, and wildlife is what makes it worth coming back to year after year. bare winter silhouette revealing branch structure and bark is when I show it off — it earns its place fully then.