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Japanese Maple pruning

  • sachayrn
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Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58836
Hello guys. I was wondering if you have any ideas about how to give my tree a more realistit shape. I just want it to prune the tree in order to look like a real splendid tree. How should i prune it in order to do that? Any suggestions please? Also if you know some youtube videos from where i can learn. Thanks in advance.
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  • Tropfrog
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Replied by Tropfrog on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58844
This is what I would do.

Look for an upward growing branch on the lower half of the trunk and put an airlayering just abowe it. When the air layering has Good roots, cut it of and start to form a New leader from the upward growing branch.

But this is what I would do. It does not give you an instant beautiful tree but creates a good taper for a future beautiful tree.

Warning: I have recieved massive critique for my top cutting here. So for sure not everyone agree.
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  • BofhSkull
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Replied by BofhSkull on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58848

sachayrn wrote: Hello guys. I was wondering if you have any ideas about how to give my tree a more realistit shape. I just want it to prune the tree in order to look like a real splendid tree. How should i prune it in order to do that? Any suggestions please? Also if you know some youtube videos from where i can learn. Thanks in advance.


Extremely hard to tell, in this season.
You'd rather keep it it as is until next winter; then, when there's no foliage and you can see the structure of the tree, you'd plan what to do and do it right before/when next spring comes...
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Replied by sachayrn on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58850
ok so no pruning until next spring, right?
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Replied by Tropfrog on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58852
No severe prunning when the tree is activly growing.
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Replied by leatherback on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58857

sachayrn wrote: ok so no pruning until next spring, right?


I prune my maples all year round. I have found that healing is fastest in late spring. I have a 7cm diameter root above the soil of one of mine which I planning on removing in a few weeks. 2 weeks ago I have most of my maples a spring thinning & wiring where only this years growth was pruned.

I woudl not think twice about thinning this plant out once the first flush of growth has extended and the tree moves into the first dormancy. But the main question is.. What is your long tem plan for the tree. That only you can tell, as nobody can see the bracnhes on the picture. So any styling advice based on your pictures is premature.
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  • tubaboy
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Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58859
I would add to what leatherback said a little: Pruning is always subect to the tree's developmental stage, and what your short and long term goals are. If you're looking to develope the trunk you prune differently than if you're looking for branch ramification... at least slightly. If you're looking to maintain shape, you prune differently, or rather pinch not prune... I can highly recommend the course on developing deciduous trees, especially the lectures from Walter Pall on hedge pruning, where he talks about different ways of cutting.. he also gives a demonstration... of course the tree he uses is a bit further along in it's bonsai training than yours.
Pruning is also subject to your experience... and the trees health as well as a bunch of other factors, but for me the first question is: what do I want this tree to do?
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Replied by sachayrn on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58861
well....firstly i would like to thicken the trunk and then grow the ramifications. i will read more about it. Thanks
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Replied by leatherback on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58862
Thickening the trunk means loads of foliage. Many options exist, from letting it grow 5 metrres tall and chopping back from there, to setting a trunk line and letting all branches grow for a year, removing all of them each year.

Once you start developing branches and ramification, the trunk will slow down. So make sure you get a basic trunk before you pay too much attention as to what the branches look like.

The bigger the branches, the bigger the cuts thus the time & work needed to close the holes, which may or may not leave scars. This is effectively the choice you have to make: Fast growth by letting it grow really big. And big cuts. Or taking 10 years longer for the trunk and have less scarring. BOTH methods require a lot of skill to create a good tree. But both are reasonable.
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Replied by leatherback on topic Japanese Maple pruning

Posted 4 years 8 months ago #58863
If you start growing out, consider getting a second tree which you use to learn how to do branches etc which is not so big; have a trainer for yourself.

For both trees: Work the roots next spring; Training the nebari should be done early on for the best resutls.
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