red maple

Red Maple plants should be watered as needed to keep the soil lightly moist, but not soggy. Water your Red Maple once a week, making sure the soil is damp to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Provide an inch of water each week until the soil is saturated. In the summer, during hot and dry spells, you may need to water more often, up to twice per week. Decrease watering in the winter so the roots don’t freeze, but don’t let the soil dry out completely. If temperatures drop below freezing, stop watering and wait until the ground thaws before watering again.

Red maple (Acer rubrum 'Franksred' RED SUNSET) requires full sun for best growth; however, it will tolerate partial shade or light afternoon shade. It needs to receive at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and flowering.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum 'Franksred' RED SUNSET) should be pruned in early spring, when the new buds have just appeared. The overall amount of pruning should be minimal to maintain the natural shape of the tree. Removing dead and diseased branches, crossing branches, and crossing or rubbing branches should all be done to improve the shape of the tree. Pruning should limit removing more than 25% of the canopy of the tree. If additional pruning is needed, it should be done in late winter or early spring.