Any pruning should be done late winter and before the new spring foliage. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Weeping Japanese maples tend to become little more than bushes -- weeping to the ground and so dense that their branching and trunk can't be seen. X July 16, 2013. Mature weeping Japanese maple trees generally do not need much pruning unless it is to maintain its size or a particular form in your garden. 22 September 2020. We might perceive it as fragile and delicate, and we’re afraid to mess up its natural beauty through improper pruning. Unless your maple tree is young, you will need to hire a landscaper. I have begun to learn how to proceed next year to help it be the best tree it can be. Laceleaf Japanese Maple. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Many maples are grafted onto an understock that in most cases will be more vigorous than the grafted scion. Fall and winter are a common time to prune and shape most deciduous trees and shrubs, but not the Japanese Laceleaf! This article has been viewed 623,226 times. We might peek inside and see an impenetrable tangle of branches. Now I know when to prune my Japanese maple. dissectum). Japanese maples can handle anything from a light trim to more extensive pruning, depending on the time of year and the tree's health. Great step by step instructions with pictures. A laceleaf Japanese maple is typically everyone's first Japanese maple. Try to keep the tree's original shape as you prune. The trick to pruning this type of Japanese maple is to allow its top layer to form a sort of canopy over the The trees should not be pruned during early spring when buds are breaking, during leaf expansion, or in late autumn because the wounds won’t have enough time to heal before winter conditions of freezing or dampness. ", pruned, and looks like a big bush. ", second set has sprouted. Now I have two and it looks like, "I just moved to a home that has a Japanese maple tree, but I've never had one before. They can be used as a focal point planting, background planting, or as a foundation planting. ", after reading "How to Prune Chinese Maple Trees". Thank you! unlocking this staff-researched answer. The section that addressed the limbs overlapping each other, the dead limbs, "We have a maple tree which is living in clay soil. Reed Pugh. idea to talk with a Certified Arborist. Summer pruning is usually limited to removing aggressive water sprouts growing straight up through the tree. http://www.finegardening.com/article/pruning-japanese-maples, http://www.japanesemaplesonline.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/home.showpage/pageID/8/index.htm, http://www.oregonlive.com/hg/index.ssf/2009/01/how_to_prune_a_japanese_maple.html, https://gardenerdy.com/pruning-japanese-maple-trees, http://www.carryongardening.org.uk/shop/pruning-9acf4610/default.aspx, https://content.statefundca.com/safety/safetymeeting/SafetyMeetingArticle.aspx?ArticleID=97, https://www.thehandymansdaughter.com/prune-japanese-maple-trees/, http://www.treeremoval.com/trimming-and-pruning/how-and-when-to-prune-a-japanese-maple-tree/#.WtAd1OjOW3A, https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/its-time-to-thin-your-japanese-laceleaf-maple-tree-just-dont-go-crazy-with-the-pruning-shears/, https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2009/3-11/transplanting.html, https://www.bonsaiempire.com/tree-species/maple, http://www.bonsaitreegardener.net/types/japanese-maple, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. 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