What to do with this Japanese Maple

[kinkytoes]

The weird branch could be a disease OR bad pruning. I've had a tree pollarded. This is when you cut the branch way above the collar...it produces tons of shoots at the end. Maybe a previous owner did this to control the size. Looking closely I see what looks like a pruning cut.... The owner could have pruned it at a bad time, making it more likely to not recover. Maybe in Spring or Fall when the sap was running? If you prune maples in summer, they will bleed less.

I have a feeling that the owner may have wanted a tree that looks like this one:
The marriage tree - Front Garden - Deb's Garden Blog You have to select a tree with a nice form from the get-go...or learn to prune like a japanese gardener and wait 10 years... It looks like your tree has TONS of branches (too many imo) in the middle, so you should be able to cut some of the hacked limbs back to right above the collar and the tree should be fine.

BTW also be ware of sunburn. You can cut some this year, some next year...some the year after that etc. If it is in full sun and you're in a hot area, you may also want to move it. Bulldog dad may be laughing now because when I joined the forum, I thought the Japanese maple that came with my house was a native RED MAPLE! ;D

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by kinkytoes

The weird branch could be a disease OR bad pruning. I've had a tree pollarded. This is when you cut the branch way above the collar...it produces tons of shoots at the end. Maybe a previous owner did this to control the size. Looking closely I see what looks like a pruning cut.... The owner could have pruned it at a bad time, making it more likely to not recover. Maybe in Spring or Fall when the sap was running? If you prune maples in summer, they will bleed less.

I have a feeling that the owner may have wanted a tree that looks like this one:
The marriage tree - Front Garden - Deb's Garden Blog You have to select a tree with a nice form from the get-go...or learn to prune like a japanese gardener and wait 10 years... It looks like your tree has TONS of branches (too many imo) in the middle, so you should be able to cut some of the hacked limbs back to right above the collar and the tree should be fine.

BTW also be ware of sunburn. You can cut some this year, some next year...some the year after that etc. If it is in full sun and you're in a hot area, you may also want to move it. Bulldog dad may be laughing now because when I joined the forum, I thought the Japanese maple that came with my house was a native RED MAPLE! ;D

Hah! I remember that. Sheesh how time flys.

[Butterfly4u]

mike,
If I were you, and the tree is right in front of your property,and you really do like the tree, I would call an arborist with tree trimming experience and ask him to personally work on the tree.
Some times in life you just can't be cheap about something.
You know what I mean?
Nice tree, I would have an arborist do it.
ONLY an Arborist.

[pennyone]

Just an amateur here, but I love JPs. I have one that I planted in the front lawn. It gets full sun and I planted it when it was only about 3 feet tall. I babied it the first two years, but with each year, I cut the lower branches off to encourage it to grow tall and tree like. Now it's over twenty ft and the lower base and the whole body are beautifully form. I thinned the branches in the mid and higher levels to keep it less bushy. I have no qualms about cutting a branch off to adjust its form. I found its first baby this spring and gave it to my neighbor as a present because I know how much he loves this tree.


I think JP loves getting fussed over, so I would first cut off that branch on the side, then thin off the mid to top levels. Then, next year, I would continue to thin the tree branches as it grows taller and change it into a slender and elegant tree. I would be diligent with it going forward and not allow it to grow out of step with what I have in mind. Feed it with hollytone in spring and late fall. I would not be shy about forming the JPs but you need to know when to stop and make sure it is not water stressed.