An Easy Approach to Pruning Japanese Maples

Showcase your garden investment with these simple tips

The first tree appeared on earth about 400 million geezerhood ago , and they did just all right for many millennia before humans arrive on the view . So before we get all hot under the collar about the correct and wrong direction to prune a Japanese maple , let ’s get one matter straight : Trees do n’t need us to crop them . Pruning only becomes “ necessary ” when a tree diagram wo n’t do what we desire it to do on its own .

Why prune in the first place?

There are two basic reasons to prune : health and looks . Pruning to keep a tree healthy is pretty formulaic . If you remove dead , diseased , and damaged material ( “ the three Ds ” ) , you will be off to a good commencement . Take out scotch branches to prevent bark damage that invites pests and pathogen , and that ’s about it . Yes , tree survive just fine without us , but a footling helping script here and there can exsert their productive lives quite a snatch .

For most gardeners , pruning for looks is the ruffianly and intimidating part . To do it well , you pretty much have to lie it all out there for the whole judgmental world to see . Your talents , your judgments , and your decision are all there , cover by no more than the emperor ’s raw clothes . It can be a little unnerving .

Successful pruning for aesthetics require that you go with a upright work knowledge of how the tree grows , how it branches , and what signifier or character its nonpayment setting is . Trying to direct a columnar tree to cloak over a rock wall is a bit like essay to get James Taylor to talk AC / DC — it is not going to turn out well .

AlthoughAcer palmatumcertainly gets top billing as the most “ Japanese ” of the Japanese maples in this state , there are actually several metal money that fall under the verbal description . These are all wonderful trees in their own right wing , and fortuitously for our intent , most of them fit a fairly consistent description : They are small to medium - size , multitrunked Tree with wide spreading canopies , opposite leaf placement , and layered branching . This means that we can somewhat much treat them all the same when it comes to pruning .

A few basic rules will serve you well

What most people are look for in their rationalize Japanese maple is more character — the sort that unremarkably develop on its own when the tree diagram is contribute enough time and we exercise enough forbearance .

The best first step in aging and supply character to your tree through pruning is to houseclean out the center . All those fussy little subdivision that gum up the interior of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree likely do n’t even contribute much to the plant ’s overall photosynthetic productiveness . You will be amazed at what an impact you could make with just a few arcminute of cleaning out the crown of the tree . See types of pruning cuts .

Like much in the pruning calendar , it ’s usually easier to do this work in winter when leaves are n’t in your way , but you may do clean - out pruning in previous spring or early summer as well . Just avoid pruning in the late summer to early fall , which can encourage new growth that may not harden off in time for wintertime .

After all that , any further pruning simply comes down to what you ’re looking to make . If you need a more open canopy , thin a little more . If you take a tighter outline for a more formal setting , clean up the isolated stragglers around the canopy border . Are you look to create a specimen with a windswept look ? Take a little more off the top of one side and a small less off the bottom of the other . See common pruning pitfall .

The secret to pruning a Japanese maple is that there really is no secret at all . Beauty is in the eye of the perceiver . Once you shroud a few BASIC , it ’s all up to you .

Watch a video on how to lop Nipponese maples

See common pest and disease that effectuate Nipponese maple

Types of Japanese Maples

Acer palmatum(Zones 5–8)

This species is the most widely grown , with more than 1,000 describe mixture .

A. sieboldianum(Zones 5–8)

Most cultivars have small , starshaped leafage and a narrow , upright habit .

A. pseudosieboldianum(Zones 4–8)

Korean maples are generally more moth-eaten hardy than other Asian maples .

A. shirasawanum(Zones 5–7)

LikeA. japonicum , the cultivar of this coinage often have round folio with shallow lobe .

A. japonicum(Zones 5–7)

With rounded parting , this tree is sometimes called a full moon maple .

Pruning whole branches is best

As with any tree diagram or shrub , realise how the plant grow will help you decide when and how to prune . In the subject of Japanese maple , some cuts are better than others .

Thinning cuts are the go-to solution

Thinning cut are quite square . plainly get rid of each branch at its point of origin while leaving the outgrowth collar , the slightly swollen ring around the infrastructure of the branch . This is the best access to use when solve out the center of a tree to give it more character .

Avoid heading cuts whenever possible

Nipponese maple have opposite leaves and buds positioned in pairs along the theme rather than alternating from one side to another . “ Heading back ” a limb — shortening it without removing it at its head of origin — should broadly speaking be avoided . This kind of slash will induce the stay two bud to get out and develop , which almost never result in a good - looking tree . If you chafe off one of the buds , leave only one to break and farm , the result will certainly be better , but still not great .

Common pruning pitfalls

Perhaps the easiest agency to define your personal pruning goals is to visualize what you do not desire to do . Have you spotted any of these unfortunate shapes in your neighbors ’ yards late ?

The bowl cut

You see this most ordinarily with the dwarf , cutleaf forms . Lopping off all branches a groundwork above the priming coat might restrict as dramatic , but unless your end is to create what look like an inverted food grain bowlful on a stick , I do not urge it .

The buzz cut

Another approach ascertain around town is the Nipponese maple sheared into a pool stick ball on a post or , if not done with an eye toward symmetricalness , an outsized Republic of Turkey leg . Unfortunately , having a Modern set of gas - powered hedge shear seems to inspire some folks to snip everything in their yard into gross ( or not so perfect ) geometric material body .

The head banger

I once had a neighbor who carried a Seth of pricey loppers on the back of his mower . Whenever he had to duck’s egg ( or , in fact , fail to duck ) under a branch , he ’d stop the lawn mower , catch the loppers , and unceremoniously whack off a subdivision just above where he had bumped his noggin . This was not a outstanding system for creating a cool , spectacular , or aesthetic tree diagram shape .

— Paul Cappiello , Ph.D. , is the executive music director of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood , Kentucky .

Photos , except where note : courtesy of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens

Illustrations : Elara Tanguy

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pruning japanese maples

A Japanese maple will look beautiful with very little intervention from you.If you approach pruning decisions with patience, restraint, and careful observation, your well-planned cuts can keep the tree healthy and looking great for years.

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clearing branches

Clearing branches from the tree’s center can add instant character.Start by pruning weak, damaged, or crossing branches, and then, if necessary, make a few more mindful cuts based on the final look you would like to achieve.

Coral bark maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango kaku’, Zones 5-8)