What Type of Soil Is Needed for Maple Trees?
Maple trees (Acer spp.) grow wild in Europe, North Asia and North America in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 9. These trees produce flowers in the spring, but they are grown mainly for their ornamental leaves, which change color in autumn. Maples grow best in full to part sun exposure in cooler climates and tolerate a wide range of soil conditions.
Maple trees grow in sandy or clayey soil types. As long as the texture stays loose and the soil depth allows the roots to anchor the tree to the site, the maple tree grows well. Unfavorable sites include swamps, dry sandy ridges and thin rocky soil.
Maple trees prefer moist soil, and some species tolerate the very wet soil that's found in wet bottomlands, river flood plains and damp forests. Red Sunset red maples (Acer rubrum “Franksred”), USDA zones 3 through 9, and paperbark maples (Acer griseum), USDA zones 5 through 8, grow well in rain gardens, which collect rain runoff and disperse the water through evaporation from plant leaves. The wet soil tolerance of the maple trees allows them to grow well when planted in a lawn that is frequently watered.
Maple trees do not grow well in very alkaline soil with a pH over 7.3. The alkalinity of the soil inhibits the uptake of nutrients by the trees’ roots, which causes iron chlorosis. In the wild, maple trees are found in soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.3, but the trees tolerate a soil acidic level down to 3.7.
In the wild, maple trees drop their leaves on the forest floor around their roots. The decomposing of the leaves enriches the soil naturally, giving the maple trees a source of slow-release nutrients. When planting these trees in the yard, mix in plenty of well-rotted compost and aged manure. Instead of throwing away fallen leaves, spread them around the base of the maple trees as a soil-enriching mulch.
Maple trees are very sensitive to salt levels in the soil and water. Salt from seaside conditions or icy roadways causes major injury to these trees. The salt dissolves into water runoff and enters the trees through the roots. The salt accumulates in the branches and leaves of the maples. When the weather turns dry, the twigs and branch tips die from the collected salt.
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