When properly located in the garden and provided enough space to grow to their mature size, Japanese maples usually do not require much if any pruning. However, if your Japanese maple has grown beyond the boundaries of the area it was intended to fill, major pruning may be necessary. I would highly recommend only experts or serious gardeners, skilled in the art of pruning, prune a Japanese maple. Major pruning can be performed in late Summer or in the dormant season (Winter), prior to leaf production in the Spring.

In general, you'll be working from the bottom up and inside out. Note that Japanese maples have an opposite branch pattern rather than an alternate branch pattern.

STEP 1
Prune away dead and overlapping branches, as shown in illustration A. Deadwood is relatively easy to spot; dead branches are leafless in the growing season, brittle and a dull gray color, unlike healthy branch color.

STEP 2
Use what's known as a "selective heading cut" to remove main branches growing between two healthy buds or branches, as shown in illustration B. Cut as close as you can to the base without doing any damage to the buds or other branches.

STEP 3

Prune side branches back to a healthy wood. Be sure to leave the branch collar, the swelling where a branch joins the trunk, as shown in illustration C. Cutting into the collar or leaving a longer stub will delay or prevent healing.

STEP 4
Do not cut off tips. It results in rapid, unhealthy growth, as shown in illustration D.

STEP 5

For larger branches, use the technique shown in illustration E to prevent limbs from breaking during pruning.

OTHER TIPS

• Direct growth by controlling buds. Buds point in the direction they will grow, and one often becomes the dominant branch. You can direct the growth by rubbing a bud out with your fingernail, or you can wait to see how the branches develop.
• DO NOT seal pruning cuts with a pruning sealer; this old practice has been shown to be unnecessary and sometimes counterproductive.
• Avoid pruning that results in large differences in branch diameters. Pruning a large branch back to a small side branch gives an unbalanced appearance. Light pruning limits regrowth and protects bark from sun scorch.
• Periodically step back and examine your work from different angles. Look at your tree from the base up, following a branch upward to assess what and where to prune. Don't rush, and if in doubt, don't cut.
• Avoid heavy annual pruning to make a tree that's too big fit into a small garden. Instead, remove it, give it away and replace it with a more size-appropriate tree.
• Keep your pruners clean and sharp - sharpen at least twice a year if used a lot.

More pruning tips for Japanese Maples on next page.