Japanese Maple Pruning Instructions

Japanese maple is a deciduous shrub or small tree well-suited for landscape designs. Found in all type of yards, this elegant woody plant is native to Japan, China and Korea, but is now cultivated in other parts of the world also, mainly for its attractive leaf colors and shapes. Since the Japanese maple is highly sought-after, it is quite expensive and owners prefer to give their best care and attention, to maintain the health and beauty of the tree. The main characteristic of a Japanese maple tree is the drastic change in the leaves during the fall season. Pruning Japanese maples is vital to restore or enhance the natural form and bring out their best for summer and winter viewing. Pruning is not required, in case, space is not a constraint. However, with less space available for the tree, pruning becomes a quintessential component of housing a Japanese maple. To know the instructions for pruning a Japanese maple, go through the following lines.

 

 

Since blunt tools can result in cuts and injuries to the trees, getting the right garden tools is very essential for pruning Japanese maples. Use of inappropriate equipment can also cause diseases and pest infestations. For cutting branches as thick as your middle finger, use bypass pruners while for cutting larger branches, a pruning saw would be fine.

 

The best time to prune Japanese maples is from late fall to midwinter. This is when the trees are leafless and dormant. While the maples can be lightly pruned during any season, spring should be avoided, as this is the time when sap rises.

 

The main aim behind pruning is to improve the tree’s natural and healthy growth habit. Hence, it is important to carefully select the branches that require pruning. During the first pruning season, get rid of dead, broken or deformed branches and twigs. Next are the crossing branches, narrow-angled branches, parallel growing branches and inward growing twigs.