How to Prune an Upright Japanese Maple
Upright Japanese maples are beautiful and elegant in all seasons. With their elegant leaves and beautiful fall foliage, they rival any tree in the landscape. Upright Japanese maples typically grow larger than their little brothers, the weeping Japanese Maple. Sometimes these upright Japanese maples get a little too large or get unsightly and need pruning. Here are some tips on how to properly prune an upright Japanese Maple Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Winter time is the best time to prune a Japanese Maple because you can see branches much more clearly when the leaves are of the way and this makes it easier to prune. Summertime pruning has its advantages as well, it is easier to judge how much to thin out of your Japanese Maple with the foliage on. When pruning, never remove more than one-fifth of an upright Japanese maple's branches.
-
2
Prune the branches so that they are in overlapping layers that never touch each other. If there are any branches that cross over each other or if any branches grow straight up or down off of a lateral branch, prune them out. You want to give your upright Japanese Maple a fan shaped look.
-
-
3
Make proper cuts during pruning. A proper pruning job will leave a clean cut that is just outside the branch collar. Do not cut into the collar as this will cause rot; do not prune too far out and leave an ugly stub sticking out of the collar. Follow these simple pruning steps and you will have a gorgeous upright Japanese Maple.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Make sure your pruning tools are sharp.
Never prune when the temperature is above 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
