Have had this acer for 8 years since I moved in, didn’t quite realise how big it has gotten and I need to trim it back but I don’t want to cause any damage to it, if anyone can give any advice on this.
by Nekrosses
Have had this acer for 8 years since I moved in, didn’t quite realise how big it has gotten and I need to trim it back but I don’t want to cause any damage to it, if anyone can give any advice on this.
by Nekrosses
17 Comments
Everything I’ve read about pruning Acers has said to do it in Winter, when there are no leaves, or it will bleed sap and die
you’re going to have to do some damage, a stern word isn’t going to cut it. If it were me i’d take back those two longest low branches about 2/3 then wait until the autumn to prune more.
Prune it now and you may kill it. Wait until winter/early Spring.
You absolutely can not prune it while it’s in leaf. It’ll bleed and probably die.
Wait till mid winter to shape.
Everyone saying don’t prune it whilst it has leaves it will die…. I’ve only pruned my 5 acers when they’ve had leaves, never been an issue. Still growing mad.
This is a winter job now is the wrong time of year I’m afraid
I have a couple of dozen Japanese Maples and the only pruning I do whilst they are in leaf is to remove damage or very overhanging branches (and even then I do the absolute bare minimum). Any significant pruning should be done in mid winter when the plant is dormant.
You don’t wanna be doing anything until November at the earliest really
Wait till late Feb/early March, when the buds appear but have not opened.
Over winter you might spot a few dead branches (usually appear shrivelled and/or pale in colour). Use a sanitised pair of secateurs, prune those back to a healthy node/bud. Take out branches which are crossing each other, especially in the centre. Take out any damaged branches or unhealthy-looking ones. Thin out the middle a bit to allow airflow.
Then, if you still want to take more or give it a light shaping, take up to a third off of the unruly branches. If you cut any branches that’s thicker than a pencil, consider using cut paste to help it heal.
That’s a beautiful acer and looks quite healthy, so I suspect it can probably take a hard prune. That said, it’d be safer to do it a bit at a time, so maybe take 2-3 years to get it to the shape you want and then just keep on top of maintenance.
Once the buds have opened, feed it with a 7-7-7 and sit back and enjoy!
From what I can work out on the image. Use these as guidelines. Guidelines!!!
https://preview.redd.it/0yttv6ovt5zg1.jpeg?width=3170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07afd55388e2e1adae54bd9679ba6fbc27dfc0e5
You can donate half of it to someone in this group, like me 🥲
I would just take the lower branches off
Noooo just don’t trim it. You can’t trim an Acer, only butcher it.
Why would you trim it?! It’s a tree not a shrub. Just leave it be. Anything you do to it will make it look dreadful. You cannot match the natural form of an Acer.
I have hacked away at my neighbours two acers ***many*** times over the last four or five years. They are fine with it. I do it to stop them shading over my garden. I’ve done it at all times of year and both trees are still thriving.
I think if we cut the longer branches on our Acer it would end up with looking very bare, as I said all the side branches and leaf growth is right at the end. I would have done it sooner but I’ve never really had an interest in it until I had to take over due to my wife’s health.
If you ask google gemini ai literally… ‘how to trim back an acer and when’ … it will give you pretty clear info.
It’s a very useful google feature and its free to use. You can use it from the search widget or download the app. The app saves the replies too, so you can go back to them later.