2026-09-10
When to plant a Japanese maple
Fall is the best time on the Island. The tree settles in over winter and gets a head start on spring.
People ask us this every week in the fall, usually while standing in front of a maple that has just turned red. The answer is: now. October and November are the best months to put a Japanese maple in the ground on Vancouver Island.
Why fall
The ground is still warm, the rain is coming, and the tree is going dormant. It puts its energy into roots instead of leaves. By spring it is settled and ready to grow. A tree planted in May has to do all of that in the heat while trying to leaf out at the same time.
Where to put it
Morning sun and afternoon shade if you can manage it. Full sun works for the red varieties but the leaves can scorch in a hot August. Keep it out of the wind. Give it room, because a 15 gallon tree that is six feet now will be twelve feet in ten years.
How to plant it
Dig the hole twice as wide as the pot and no deeper. The top of the root ball should sit level with the ground, not below it. Water it in well, mulch around it but not against the trunk, and then leave it alone. Water once a week the first summer if it is dry.
Ours are $125 for a 15 gallon and $150 for a 20 gallon, and they have already been through a winter here. Come and walk the rows on the trees page or in person.