Japanese scarlet

Japanese scarlet - cercidiphyllum japonicum is an amazingly beautiful plant, delicate curved branches, bright crimson flowers, what else is needed to create a unique oriental style on your garden plot? Today we will tell you about Japanese scarlet, a tree that can decorate any garden. From the fact that it blooms in early spring, the plant immediately begins to delight you with amazing colors, and the Japanese scarlet blooms very early, as soon as nature begins to awaken. The place of natural habitat is naturally Asian countries. However, this Japanese tree has been gaining popularity in Russia recently. It is not difficult to grow it, but the decorative appearance is truly amazing. Japanese scarlet can also be bought and grown in order to be used for landscaping parks, recreation areas, it is also planted near administrative buildings. Also, this tree is common in the gardens of Europe; in landscape design, Japanese scarlet is often used by gardeners. Today we will tell you about the varietal characteristics of the scarlet tree, the winter hardiness of the tree, the peculiarities of planting and caring for the Japanese scarlet, and at the end we will tell you how to properly propagate a Japanese tree and where to plant it.

Japanese scarlet description and characteristics

Japanese scarlet: photo cercidiphyllum japonicum

The Japanese scarlet tree is considered a real giant, the scarlet tree can reach a height of 30 meters in height. The trunk is also very massive in girth, more than 5 m in diameter. Special varieties for garden cultivation are more modest, usually such trees do not grow more than 7 m in height. In fact, this plant looks more like a shrub, as the crown looks more like a pyramid. Branches near a tree intensively fill the surrounding space, so usually trees have a spreading structure. On the surface of the bark, you can see many cracks, this also gives the tree its originality. The leaves are crimson and reddish in color, and the color of the foliage changes throughout the year, so every new season the scarlet will amaze you with its unprecedented beauty. At first, the leaves will be pale pink, later they darken, but in the fall they turn into golden foliage. The veins on the foliage also have contrasting hues, so this tree will truly amaze you. And this is not even mentioning the amazing flowers. Usually, the flowers begin to bloom before the leaves, the inflorescence is bright purple and pink, and the aroma from them is simply amazing. The flowers will smell of delicate vanilla, delighting not only the pattern, but also the sense of smell. That is why you will want to sit on a bench near this amazing Japanese tree, build a real recreation area there, so that the purple can become a real decoration of your garden. However, a significant disadvantage of this plant is that the culture is not winter-hardy, which is why the scarlet grows poorly in harsh climatic conditions. But if you take proper care of the Japanese guest, overcome all difficulties, then a real exotic, an oriental miracle will appear in your garden. Particular attention should be paid to young plants, they will definitely need to be covered for the winter, adult trees are able to withstand almost -30 degrees, however, it is desirable to cover them for the winter.

Japanese scarlet: planting and care

Japanese scarlet tree: photo

It is best to grow scarlet in a well-lit area. The soil should be drained, nutrient-rich and loose.You can additionally fertilize the soil before planting. If you did not find a sunny area in your garden, then you can plant the Japanese scarlet in partial shade. It is best to buy Japanese scarlet together with an earthen lump or in a pot. During planting, do not damage the fragile root system, it is pivotal in this culture, so there are not so many adventitious roots. That is why plant transplantation is poorly tolerated. So immediately choose the right planting sites for Japanese scarlet, the plant will not survive a new pick in adulthood.

The planting hole should also be prepared in advance, rotted compost and humus are added there. The root collar is not buried, the seedling is placed in the middle of the pit, spreading the roots well. The ground after planting the Japanese scarlet will definitely need to be compacted, and the plants should be well watered. Make sure that the soil does not dry out, this is necessary in order for the scarlet to adapt faster to new conditions, so it grows and develops better. It is believed that this plant is quite moisture-loving. Therefore, if drought or abnormal heat very often occurs in your region, then Japanese scarlet can discard leaves. To prevent this from happening, you will need to water the plants regularly. To do this, the near-stem circle is moistened, and the near-stem zone is also mulched. Sawdust, straw and dry grass are used as mulch. In addition, it makes the soil looser and well structured, which means that the roots will also breathe. Mainly only young animals are fed. They are the ones who need fertilizers in order for the plants to grow green mass. It is undesirable to apply top dressing with an excessive nitrogen content to the soil; use complex fertilizers. Top dressing is usually applied either in spring or early summer. When the twigs begin to grow woody, it is no longer necessary to feed the crop.

The Japanese scarlet tree - cercidiphyllum japonicum - blooms very abundantly, but only for a week, so you will not be able to please yourself with a wonderful vanilla aroma for long. But the decorative quantities of these plants are no less attractive, if in your region there are sometimes return frosts in the spring, then do not be afraid, although the scarlet usually freezes, it is actively recovering. Do not forget about pruning, it should be done in early spring. To do this, you will need to remove all diseased and deformed shoots that will interfere with the development of the plant. The branches that thicken the crown will also need to be removed, but you can form the crown as you wish.

Japanese scarlet: reproduction

Japanese scarlet in landscape design: photo

The easiest way to propagate Japanese scarlet is by cuttings. In fact, it's very simple, so don't be afraid to cut off the extra branch and root it. Usually the shoots are harvested at the beginning of summer, the branches should be healthy and strong. After you cut the planting material, you will need to put the cuttings in a container with water, you can dig the lower part of the branches into any fertile soil mixture, sand is often added there. Remember to moisturize the substrate, otherwise roots will not form. Before planting cuttings, you can soak the lower parts of the cuttings in growth promoters for several hours. So the root system will be formed more intensively. From above, the cuttings are usually covered with glass jars or plastic bags. This is done in order to create the necessary greenhouse conditions. Remember, cuttings love moisture. It is thanks to this that root formation occurs intensively, usually after a month the cuttings form the first shoots, which means that the reproduction process is successful.

You can try to grow the Japanese Crimson tree from seeds. To do this, you will need to collect planting material in mid-autumn, after which they can be planted for seedlings in any spacious container.The seeds are buried shallowly into the ground, just a couple of centimeters. After that, you can take the container out into the garden, cover the container with foliage. So you will stratify the seeds, this is a very useful event, usually not all seeds sprout in the spring, but only a part of them, however, it is these plants that will be hardened better. If premature thaws come in March, then the box will definitely need to be transferred to the house (if not, then you can transfer the pot to the house later). Sometimes seeds are stratified in an ordinary refrigerator, for this they are placed on some kind of damp material, wrapped in a bag and left there for a while. Do not forget that the plant will need to be watered regularly. Seedlings usually appear sparsely. They also do not develop very intensively. Therefore, there can be no question of any transplants. Plants usually do not withstand them. However, when the sprouts get stronger, several true leaves will appear on each seedling, they can be planted in separate containers. However, this is not all, the scarlet must be grown, and only after that can you transplant it into open ground. Seedlings are usually sent to the street in September, and for the winter they cover the plantings with foliage and coniferous spruce branches. Do not forget that young plants tolerate frost worse, so they just need a warm "blanket". However, some gardeners still plant seedlings only next spring, but it is wintering that hardens the plants, so the healthiest plantings of Japanese scarlet are grown in the first way.

Conclusion

Japanese scarlet: photo

In Russia, this Japanese tree with a beautiful name has been gaining immense popularity lately. It is easy and simple to grow it, but the decorative appearance is truly amazing. Japanese scarlet can be used for landscaping parks, recreation areas, it is also planted near agricultural buildings and houses. Landscape designers are very fond of decorating plots with them. This plant looks great near water bodies, other crops with bright yellow foliage. In general, the scarlet will look interesting in any corner of your garden, and you will definitely want to propagate this plant, and we have already told you how to do this. We hope you find our tips and tricks useful.