■ モミジの自然植生 Natural maple vegetation
イロハモミジは、照葉樹林帯の渓流植生です。福島県では阿武隈山地から太平洋沿岸部’浜通り’に流れる鮫川下中流域と夏井川下中流域に自然植生を見ることができます。Japanese maples are a stream vegetation in evergreen broad-leaved forests. In Fukushima Prefecture, natural vegetation can be seen in the lower and middle reaches of the Samegawa River and the Natsuigawa River, which flow from the Abukuma Mountains to the Pacific coastal area ’ Hamadori’.
鮫川中流域「強滝（こわたき）Samegawa River’KOWATAKI’
夏井川中流域 Natsuigawa River
■ イロハモミジが生育する３条件 Three conditions for Japanese maples to grow
№１ 渓谷なので陽が当たるの午前か午後 Because it is a valley, the sun shines only in the morning or afternoon
№２ 山の上から供給される腐葉土 Leaf mold provided from the top of the mountain
№３ 空中湿度 Air humidity
■ モミジの生産 Maple production
仲田種苗園鷹ノ巣農場は、モミジの自然植生をモデルとして、長年生産の環境整備を行ってきました。農場の広さは2ha、100ｍのモミジのトンネルは圃場としては全国トップで、紅葉シーズンにはたくさんの見学者が訪れます。Nakada Seed Nursery ‘Takanosu Farm’ has been improving the production environment for many years, using the natural vegetation of maples as a model. The farm is 2ha in size, and its 100m maple tunnel is the largest of its kind in the country, attracting many visitors during the autumn foliage season.
生産のポイントは、まずカラマツなどの高木によって陽を和らげています（条件１）。また土壌は有機質が豊富な弱酸性の火山灰堆積土（条件２）、阿武隈川から供給される適度な空中湿度（条件３）という自然の恵みを最大限に活用しています。The key to production is to make the most of the natural blessings of the area, such as the use of tall trees such as larch to moderate the sunlight (condition 1), the soil being slightly acidic volcanic ash deposits rich in organic matter (condition 2), and the moderate air humidity provided by the Abukuma River (condition 3).
写真左の青色の（火山灰）堆積岩に鷹ノ巣農場は立地しています。Takanosu Farm is located on the blue (volcanic ash) sedimentary rocks on the left of the photo..
■ 剪定 Pruning
仲田種苗園では、モミジの個性を活かし、成長を促すために、幼木から各成長段階でに剪定を行っています。Nakada Seed Nursery prunes maples at each stage of growth, starting from young trees, in order to make the most of their individuality and promote their growth.
特に太陽に近いモミジの頭部は葉が茂るので、上部を枝抜きすると、目線の高さの下枝に陽が当たるので、衰退せずに、風にそよぐような柔らかさが出ます。The tops of maples are particularly densely leafed, so pruning the tops allows the lower branches at eye level to receive sunlight, preventing them from withering and giving them a soft, breeze-like appearance.
■ モミジ植栽のポイントKey points for planting maples
№１植栽土壌： 土壌は、有機質が豊かな黒色土に、燻炭を混ぜて保水性と通気性の改善し、微生物を活性化します。The soil is made of black soil rich in organic matter, with rice husk charcoal mixed in to improve water retention and breathability and activate microorganisms.
燻炭Rice husk charcoal
砂地はモミジには適さないので、黒土ともみ殻燻炭で土壌改良します。Sandy soil is not suitable for maple trees, so we improve the soil with black soil and rice husk charcoal.
№２ 乾燥を避ける植栽方法：モミジは乾燥に弱いので、陽が一日中は当たらない住宅の東側や北側に植栽するか、あるいは陽に強いアカマツ、コナラなどと組み合わせて植栽することをお勧めします。Planting methods to avoid dryness: Maples are sensitive to dryness, so we recommend planting them on the east or north side of a house where they will not be exposed to sunlight all day, or planting them in combination with Japanese red pine or oak, which are more tolerant of the sun.
南側と西側にアカマツとコナラを植栽して、直射日光からイロハモミジを保護しています（鷹ノ巣農場モデルガーデン）Red pines and oaks are planted on the south and west sides to protect the Japanese maples from direct sunlight (Takanosu Farm Model Garden)
陽に強いアカマツと乾燥に弱いモミジを組み合わせて植栽しています（仙台市の個人邸、仲田種苗園設計施工）A combination of red pine trees, which are tolerant of the sun, and maples, which are sensitive to dryness, is planted (Private residence in Sendai City, designed and constructed by Nakata Seed Farm)
№３：空中湿度：最近は人間にとって危険な猛暑となることが多くなりました。モミジも単独植栽の場合は、根が乾き、葉からの蒸散過多になり樹勢が弱る可能性があります。池とまではいかなくとも、モミジの木陰の下に水盤を置いたり、水道の簡易ミストを使って朝晩葉水するなどの対策が必要となります。それは人間にとって快適な環境を整備することでもあります。Air humidity: Recently, there have been many extreme heat waves that are dangerous to humans. If a maple tree is planted alone, the roots will dry out and there will be excessive transpiration from the leaves, which can weaken the tree. Even if you don’t go as far as creating a pond, measures such as placing a water basin under the maple tree’s shade or using a simple water mister to water the leaves in the morning and evening are necessary. This also creates a comfortable environment for humans.
■ 最近のニーズ Recent needs
鷹ノ巣農場で生産しているモミジは、イロハモミジ、オオモミジ、コハウチワカエデ、ハウチワカエデ、ノムラモミジなど。サイズは高さ２ｍ～10ｍ。本数は約２万本。個性を大事にした育成をしているので、ほとんど同じ形はありません。The maples grown at Takanosu Farm include Japanese maples, ’Acer palmatum’,’ Acer amoenum’, ‘Acer sieboldium’, ‘Acer japonicum’ ,and ‘Acer palmatum cv.sanguineum’. They range in size from 2m to 10m in height. There are about 20,000 trees. They are cultivated with an emphasis on individuality, so there are almost no two trees that are the same shape.
販売先は、東北から九州まで、特に紅葉の名園が多い京都でも人気です。They are sold from Tohoku to Kyushu, and are especially popular in Kyoto, which has many famous autumn foliage gardens.
売れ筋は、高さ３ｍ内外のモミジが、個人庭園用として、個性を活かしつつ、他の樹種と組み合わせた生け花的植栽に多く使っていただいています。そのために、幹が３本以上の株立ちよりも、単木が70％を占めます。The best-selling maples are around 3m tall, and are used in private gardens in combination with other tree species, like Japanese flower arranging’IKEBANA’, while taking advantage of their individuality. For this reason, 70% of the trees are single trees, rather than clumps with three or more trunks.
「生け花的植栽」：主木（アカマツ、コナラ、アオダモなど）、副木（モミジなど）、客木（ツツジ類、ナツハゼなど）。Plantings like japanese flower arrangements’IKEBANA’: tall trees (Japanese red pine, oak, etc.), medium-sized trees (maples), and shrubs (azaleas)
最近はランドスケープデザインの人たちからも、個性的な自然樹形のモミジを組み合わせて使いたいというニーズが多くなっています。Recently, there has been an increasing demand from landscape designers who want to combine maples with their unique, natural tree shapes.
京都大原の祇王寺は、イロハモミジが高木層中高木層中木層というように重層的になっていてとても美しい。Giou-ji Temple in Ohara, Kyoto, is a very beautiful sight, with its layered Japanese maples, each with a tall tree layer, a medium-tall tree layer, and a medium-sized tree layer.
仲田種苗園では、イロハモミジの高木8m内外、中高木５ｍ内外、中木３ｍ内外が重層的になるような植栽を提案しているが、多くのランドスケープデザイナーの共感をいただいています。Nakada Seed Nursery proposes planting Japanese maples in a layered pattern, with tall trees around 8m, medium-tall trees around 5m, and medium trees around 3m, and this has been well received by many landscape designers.
モミジの重層的風景Layered landscape of maples
■ TV出演と作庭、観光 TV appearances, maple gardening and tourism
私たちとUSAのミスターメープル兄弟は、テレビ東京「世界！ニッポン行きたい人応援団」に、２０１６年、2020年、2023年の3回、それぞれバージョンアップしながら共演しました。私たちの日米での取り組みは、番組史上最大の成果とも言われています。この番組を見たたくさんの人たちが、関東地方や私たちが住む福島県から鷹ノ巣農場に訪れるようになりました。モミジをメインにした庭を作ってほしいという依頼も多くなりました。We and the USA Mr. Maple Brothers appeared on TV Tokyo’s “Sekai! Nippon Ikitai Hito Oen-dan” three times, in 2016, 2020, and 2023, with each episode being updated. Our joint US-Japan efforts are said to be the greatest success in the show’s history. Many people who watched the show began to visit Takanosu Farm from the Kanto region and Fukushima Prefecture, where we live. We also received many requests to create gardens with maples as the main feature.
鷹ノ巣農場では、紅葉のシーズンに馬と遊ぶ機会をつくることもあります。At Takanosu Farm, we sometimes have the opportunity to play with the horses during the autumn foliage season.
