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How Fast Do Maple Trees Grow? 5 Expert Tips

black maple tree

There’s no denying that a fully-grown maple tree is impressive and majestic. But it can take them quite a while to reach that height. You can typically expect anywhere between 2 and 6 feet of annual growth.

So, how long does it take for maple trees to grow, how much do they grow each year, and how can you get them to grow faster? We answer all those questions and more for you here.

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How Fast Do Maple Trees Grow?

Bigtooth Maple Tree
Image By: Jason Speredon, Shutterstock

It depends on the growing conditions and type of maple tree, but for most young maple trees, you can typically expect anywhere between 2 and 6 feet of annual growth. Once they start to reach their full height, their growth rate starts to slow down a bit. Mature maple trees can stand anywhere between 50 and 75 feet in height, so it’s common for a tree to grow for decades until it reaches its final height.

Ideal Maple Tree Growing Conditions

If you want your maple tree to thrive, you must meet its basic needs. For starters, pick a location with access to full sun. While some maple trees do fine with partial sun, it will slow down the growth rate. You also want to use well-drained clay soil. These trees love water, and if you live in an area with frequent droughts, you’ll need to water the tree frequently to keep it alive and growing.

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The 5 Tips for Helping Your Maple Tree Grow Faster

Maple trees can get extremely tall, but you likely don’t want to wait your entire life until they reach anything near their full size. So, here are four different tips for you to get your maple tree growing as fast as possible.

1. Test the Soil

testing soil PH
Image By: Microgen, Shutterstock

You want to test the soil before planting your maple tree, but if you’re having problems afterward, it’s still a good thing to check. For the best possible growth, you want soil with a pH between 5.1 and 7.8


2. Plant in Early Spring

While you can plant in either late fall or early spring, early spring is preferred. This gives the maple tree plenty of time to establish deep roots before the cold winter months hit, and you get a full growing season before then.

If you wait until late fall to plant, you shouldn’t have many problems, but you won’t see much, if any, growth until spring. So, you might as well wait until then to get the most out of the first growing season.


3. Water Early and Often

planting tree
Image By: Lee Charlie, Shutterstock

Right after you plant the tree, you should go out and water it every day. Maple trees love water, and if you water the tree every day for the first few months after planting it, it will help the roots establish themselves.


4. Mulch Around the Tree

Maple trees love moist soil, and one of the best things that you can do to trap moisture around a tree is to mulch. This is especially important for young trees with small roots, but even large maple trees can benefit from mulch.


5. Fertilize Each Spring

Decompost
Image Credit: Thiti Wongluang, Pixabay

Once you have your maple tree in the ground and well-established, the best thing that you can do to get the most out of your tree each year is to use fertilizer on the soil. But only use a slow-release fertilizer. This will ensure that the tree gets all the nutrients that it needs throughout the entire growing season. A quick-release fertilizer won’t give the tree enough nutrition in that time frame, and even worse, it can overload and stunt the tree’s growth after you apply it.

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Final Thoughts

Now that you know more about maple trees in your area, all that’s left is for you to head out and find a spot for you to plant your new maple tree. If you already have a maple tree in the ground, try slow-release fertilizer spikes to get faster growth from your tree!


Featured Image Credit: Magdalena Sinakova, Shutterstock

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