Prone to Scratches and Marks – As maple has a naturally light colour and fewer grains than other hardwoods, scratches and marks are easily visible on its smooth surface. If you have pets, you'll have to be careful about this issue because their claws will leave scratches that are visible over time.
Maples will often exhibit leaf scorch (browning of leaf edges). Repeated leaf scorch often indicates restriction, smothering, or death of the roots. Girdling roots - These roots circle trunks, often below grade, constricting sugar transport to the roots and slowly killing them. Norway maples seem particularly prone.
A maple tree can be decorative. Many maple species have fragile, elegant leaves, while others have magnificent late-winter crimson flowers. Many of them have fascinating bark as well. Its fruit, called the winged samara or “whirlybirds”, are especially popular among kids.
While Maple is a very hard wood, it is not completely resistant to scratches. The light colour of Maple can make scratches and dents more noticeable, especially in high-traffic areas or homes with pets and children.
Which is a harder wood, maple or oak? In terms of hardness ratings, maple ranks higher than oak which makes it more scratch-resistant. Maple is ideal for high traffic areas like floors and cabinetry. That being said, both are excellent choices for different purposes due to their unique characteristics.
If it's a gouge, you'll need to sand the surface scratches until it's smooth and even. Once you're done, you can apply a wood filler, such as putty, before repainting it. You can use an abrasive pad or fine sandpaper to remove a light scratch.
Don't make the mistake of planting this tree with insufficient space for that final growth. Allow at least 20 feet from the nearest building or boundary, and don't plant underneath overhead wires. Good soil preparation, annual fertilizer, and plenty of water will give you maximum growth in those vital first years.
Maples need full sun and a few do well in partial sun. So choose a location in your yard with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. Choose an area in your yard with deep, enriched, and very well-drained soil.
Maples are a well-known group of shade trees that are fast growing, low maintenance, and beautiful. This group has a wide variety of options in size, fall colors, and shape. Many maple trees are native to the United States making them a great option for the home landscape.
In Ancient Greek mythology, maple trees like sycamores were associated with Ares, the god of war, probably because of the multiple points on their leaves. They were also linked to Phobos, the god of fear, perhaps because of the blood red colouring of their leaves in autumn.
Overall benefits of trees
For example, in my climate zone, a 25-inch diameter Big Leaf Maple tree provides overall benefits of $196.00 per year to my property. Other species, and their size, may lead to a larger or smaller cost-benefit.
How long do maple trees live? How long a maple tree lives depends on the type of maple. A sugar maple can live up to 400 years, whereas a silver maple usually lives about a century. Red maple trees live a bit longer, surviving up to 300 years.
Diseases occur on maples in the landscape as well as those growing in natural woodlots and forests. Anthracnose, fungal leaf spots (including tar spot), powdery mildew, and Verticillium wilt are diseases that are usually encountered every year whereas leaf scorch is an occasional problem.
Is Birch stronger than Maple? With a 1450 rating on the Janka hardness scale, Maple floorboards are harder than Birch, which has a rating of 1260. Consequently, Maple floorboards will resist scratches and dents more easily and are ideal for high-traffic areas.
Thin barked trees such as maple and cherry are more prone to frost cracking, which makes site selection important when planting these species.
Fall is often considered the best time of year to plant new trees. Generally, late August, September and October are the best months. It all depends, though, on when it actually feels like fall. As long as the hottest days of summer are gone and the ground isn't frozen yet, you can still plant trees.
Silver maple trees have incredibly shallow, fast-growing roots. They might be prized for their vibrant colour in autumn, but their root systems are one of the most invasive of all. As the roots enlarge, silver maple trees have been known to crack driveways, pavements, foundations and pipes.
Pruning. If the crown of your tree is stretching too tall or wide, corrective pruning can help rein it in and size it down for the space available. It's crucial to prune a tree before it becomes a problem because taking away too many branches could cause unnecessary stress.
With their vibrant foliage, maple trees are popular options for adding stunning color to landscapes. No matter how big your yard is or what the weather is like in your location, a variety of maple will work for you. Our list of 15 types of maple trees will help you pick the perfect one for your landscape.
Maple trees
A few species of maples should be avoided as their invasive roots will severely damage the plumbing systems and foundations. In particular, Norway maple and silver maple have large and shallow root systems. Their tree roots cause damage, and they're trip hazards as well.
Tap the Tree
A height of about 3 feet is recommended. If the tree has been tapped in previous seasons, do not tap within 6 inches of the former tap hole. Ideally, the tap hole should be above a large root or below a large branch on the south side of the tree.
Vaseline: while it will not remove a scratch, applying Vaseline and leaving it overnight may encourage the surrounding wood to swell up and surround the scratch, improving its appearance.
Wood dyes, such as TransTint or Transfast, are more likely to be successful on the tight grain of difficult woods. Aniline wood dyes, which are fine powder dyes that can be mixed with water, alcohol, or petroleum solvents, show off the grain of the wood and let your beautiful maple shine.
A homemade mixture of apple cider vinegar and olive oil can be a cost-effective solution for minor scratches. The acidity of the vinegar cleans the scratch, while the olive oil helps to restore the wood's natural color and shine.