|
The necessity of pruning Japanese maple trees is debated in many gardening circles. One camp maintains that pruning is needed to keep the tree healthy and strengthen limbs while the other camp maintains that un-pruned trees are just as healthy and are more attractive. Pruning Japanese maple trees needs to be done selectively, when it is done, to maintain a graceful appearance. The proper time of year is equally as important to avoid serious problems for your acer palmatum.
A Japanese maple tree is the showy central piece on many patios and gardens. Dozens of varieties are available sporting various colors of leaves and bark. The question of whether or not pruning Japanese maple trees is necessary comes up often. In locations not plagued with severe wind storms or snow, the thin and frail looking limbs of the Japanese maple may do fine. Pruning Japanese maple trees may be optional in those areas. Several online forum contributors report that after 10 years their Japanese maples are none the worse for the lack of pruning. The more traditional camp of gardeners maintain that pruning Japanese maple trees is a task that should be done on young trees annually in the last part of summer or early fall. Late fall to early winter is when another group says it is optimal to be pruning Japanese maple trees back. Even among the traditionalists, there is disagreement on when the right time to be pruning Japanese maple trees is. Everyone agrees that green leaf suckers need to be pruned off the root stock immediately and any limbs that look dead or are crossing another limb need taken out when pruning Japanese maple trees.
The Buddhist culture uses the act of slowly and thoughtfully pruning a Japanese maple tree as the premise of one meditation. Each cut should be looked at and carefully considered. Take time to get a feel for the overall effect the cut will make before the clippers are raised to the tree.
To build stronger branches, cutting back those with new growth on them in early spring is suggested. Only a few branches should be cut back at a time as pruning Japanese maple trees tends to throw them into shock. If the tree needs a lot of branches trimmed, it is best to divide the job into a three year project. Heavily pruning Japanese maple trees should be avoided due to issues like bark injury and sun scorch that can result.
The goal of pruning Japanese maple trees is to keep the tree healthy by opening up the center to allow air and sunlight in and create a uniform or pleasing overall shape to the canopy. How and when this is done can be worked out between the individual gardener and his tree. As the gardener looks at the tree, he should have a clear idea of what he wants it to look like when it is finished and proceed with caution. Spring is the only completely off limits time as the sap is rising then.
|
Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about pruning and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
Didn't really find what you were looking for?
|
|
|
| |
|
|
![[Valid RSS feed]](images/rss.gif "Subscribe to our XML Feed for RSS")
(Read 500+ times)
