Q. What is
the best time to prune cut-leaf Japanese maples? Should I prune out
a lot of the thin branches, inside and outside the tree?
A.
Cut-leaf Japanese maples (Acer palmatum var. dissectum)
tend to be slow-growing plants that do not require much pruning.
They should be carefully trained when they are young to establish an
attractive growth habit and sturdy limb structure. In subsequent
years, a bit of pruning to remove dead or damaged branches and to
eliminate branches that cross each other should be all that is
necessary.
Cutleaf Japanese Maple
A number of tree
species, including maples, tend to "bleed" or lose a lot of sap if
they are pruned in late winter or early spring, which is when
deciduous trees are typically pruned. Although this does not really
hurt the tree, it often alarms the person doing the pruning. If you
have to do any major pruning and shaping, it is best to do it before
the tree leafs out so that you have a clear view of its framework
and what needs to be done. It will bleed, but that does not harm it.
Do not use any
type of pruning paint or tar to try to stanch the sap flow. Research
has shown that these products actually interfere with the tree's
ability to heal the wound on its own. Once you have the tree in good
shape, you can delay pruning until early to mid-June in future years
when it is less likely to bleed.
Start pruning by
removing any obviously dead or badly damaged branches. Then remove
branches that cross, rub other branches and create wounds in the
bark. There are many cultivars of cut-leaf Japanese maples, and they
have distinct growth habits. However, they often have a graceful
weeping shape that you should maintain as you prune.
Be sure to make
thinning cuts, those that remove a small branch at its point of
origin on a major branch, rather than heading cuts. Heading cuts are
those that cut a small branch back to a pair of buds. Too many
heading cuts will create a dense tangle of growth toward the ends of
branches that will shade the interior of the tree and destroy its
naturally graceful growth habit.
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