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Japanese Maple Pruning

Dirtrider

Turbo Monkey
May 2, 2006
1,496
2,313
Asheville, NC
With all this great advise on here today I figured I’d ask the Monkey collective. I’ve got a standard Japanese Maple, Orangeola if I remember correctly. It is starting to look a little bushy and too shrubby for my liking. I want to trim the bottom to make it more tree like. It is going on it’s second season in the ground. Is there a preferred time or method to trim these? I am in N.C. if it matters.
 

jimmydean

The Official Meat of Ridemonkey
Sep 10, 2001
40,931
13,129
Portland, OR
We have a tree guy that lives a mile down the road. It was $100 for our big one and he did a great job. It's about 12' tall, it's nice.
 

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
21,513
7,056
Colorado
Arborist doesn't show. Stoney buys chainsaw and pruning clippers.
Living things need to be treated differently and the phrase 'widow-maker' exists for a reason. I know my limits and when to acknowledge the need for a professional.
 

junkyard

You might feel a little prick.
Sep 1, 2015
2,601
2,303
San Diego
Just watch 5 YouTube videos about trimming trees. Then you can say your an expert on the subject.
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
Just watch 5 YouTube videos about trimming trees. Then you can say your an expert on the subject.
Pretty much what I have done and It has gone pretty well so far. Pruned most of my trees in the garden include all my Japanese maples. It’s really a must to prune to keep a garden in check.
 

jstuhlman

bagpipe wanker
Dec 3, 2009
16,622
12,911
Cackalacka du Nord
well then...sharpen up your shears and get to work! (when you're not building your #vanlife van that you don't even post pictures of and will probably use to abandon your poor japanese maple tree anyway...
 

CBJ

year old fart
Mar 19, 2002
12,860
4,154
Copenhagen, Denmark
Clean you shears before using them too to avoid getting it sick. Of the above search I think I have learned the most about pruning from the Herons Bonsai guy. As he says never be afraid of pruning. One of my new Acers was not in good shape with rotting leaves and I cut it more or less completely back and now its growing like crazy with tons of fresh shoots.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Every Japanese Maple I have seen has been grafted to a different species of root stock. I have had thousands of seeds from Japanese Maples sprout and quickly die, probably why the need to graft. I guess it is possible in certain climates for them to survive and maybe thrive but certainly not in the areas where I have lived.