How to Grow and Care for Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple

How to Plant a Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple

The purpose of planting a Fall Fiesta sugar maple is for aesthetics. Often, native sugar maples are used for maple syrup production, but that is not the case with the cultivar, as the trunk is specifically bread to be smaller. Knowing this, you will want to focus on one thing when planting your Fall Fiesta sugar maple: getting the most out of its stunning color and taking advantage of its shade during the warm months.

Selecting a Planting Site

You will want to avoid planting your maple anywhere that might be in contact with road salts or excessive air pollution; Fall Fiesta is not an ideal street tree.

Likewise, planting it in an area that receives poor drainage or where soil may become highly compacted is not advisable. To plant it along a path or it would need to be set back a good way to avoid heavy foot traffic.

Plant the tree in a location that has fertile soil, is slightly acidic, drains well, and receives full or partial sun, and your tree should be happy.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Be sure to plant your Fall Fiesta sugar maple in an area that you know will be able to fit the tree as it matures, especially if you are planning on planting more than one. Do this by considering the mature spread and height of the tree and allowing space between it and other vegetation, structures, and infrastructure. Sugar maples have shallow roots, so consider their effect on foundations, sewers, and pavements.

When planting the Fall Fiesta, dig a hole twice as wide as the container or rootball; you will want to plant it shallow rather than deep. After it is planted, lightly tamp the soil down and place a stake to ensure your newly planted tree remains straight as it matures.

Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple Tree Care

Caring for a Fall Fiesta sugar maple is a pretty straightforward task that relies primarily on whether you chose the correct environmental conditions when you first planted your tree. Following these hints below will help you have years and years of colorful fall seasons with your tree:

• Plant Fall Fiesta sugar maple in full sun for the best color.
• Protect your tree’s soil from becoming compacted by choosing a well-draining soil and avoiding regularly walking on it.
• Plan the tree’s location to allow the roots to grow outward to avoid damage to the tree and structures.

Light

The more sun you provide your Fall Fiesta sugar maple the better the fall colors. It can manage in partial shade without suffering any health concerns, but you might see a decrease in color, which is the main reason the tree is planted.

Soil

Your largest issue when caring for a Fall Fiesta sugar maple will be soil compaction and drainage. Good soil for a Fall Fiesta sugar maple will allow the roots to breathe and be well draining; any compression of the roots by the soil will hurt the tree. Keep your tree off any well-trodden paths or high-traffic areas to avoid compressing the soil under foot.

Water

Watering your tree will be most important during the first few years after planting. In the first two seasons you should water the tree 11 gallons of water per week. Increase this amount during hot, dry periods. Taper the supplemental watering off during the winter and resume as the ground thaws.

Temperature and Humidity

Normally, sugar maples thrive in cooler temperatures like those found in New England and across the USA’s northern reaches. Fall Fiesta sugar maple has been raised to deal with drought and heat a little better than its native species. It can also deal with slightly colder winters as well.

Though not good in temperature extremes, the cultivar will allow those further south who would never experience the splendor of the sugar maple (due to high heat and humidity) to look at its fabulous colors. Keep to its recommended USDA hardiness zones of 3-8, your fall display shouldn’t be interrupted.

Fertilizer

If your soil is fertile and organically rich there should be no need to add supplemental fertilizer to a Fall Fiesta sugar maple.

Pruning the Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple

Fall Fiesta sugar maple pruning is done to maintain and establish form as the tree matures. You will want to do maintenance pruning yearly after the first two seasons once your tree has established a healthy root system. Remove dead, damaged, and broken branches to keep your tree healthy.

To help establish form and allow your tree to shine visually, you want to create a single leader and remove any inward-growing branches. Your goal is to be able to walk around the tree and see that all the branches radiate outward away from the main leader, establishing a symmetrical crown shape.

The breeding of this cultivar will aid in forming this shape, but your pruning will give it a gentle nudge as it needs it. Do this every year in the early winter when the tree is dormant until you need the assistance of a ladder. Once it’s big enough that a ladder is required, it will be a good time to call in the help of a certified arborist to give you a hand.

Propagating Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum ‘Bailsta’ Fall Fiesta is a patented, trademarked cultivar, and propagating patented plants is prohibited.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Much hardier than the native species, your Fall Fiesta sugar maple will be a bit more resistant to common plant diseases. It can still suffer from verticillium wilt and anthracnose, but proper maintenance and care can substantially reduce the threat of those diseases.

The most common insect seen on all sugar maples of all types are aphids because of their affinity for the tree’s sap. They do not present a large risk to the tree but can cause leaf damage, which decreases the aesthetic value of the tree.