Maple Tree Pruning

If your just wanting a large shade tree, you can keep it simple and pick a tree with a nice strong central leader that has no damage from transport. If a side branch is growing very tightly to the side and competing with the leader, remove it entirely. This can happen on a young after you have brought it home, or may not have noticed it much when it was a year younger. Try to keep the center of the tree a single leader with side branches extending out and up. Any branches wanting to grow down or weeping when the rest of the tree is not, should be removed. Branches growing straight up like a pole off a side branch(sometimes called water sprouts) causing the straight up pole to push down on the otherwise healthy branch; should be removed as close to the branch it sprouted from. (Watch video about proper cut)
I have since purchased trees in nurseries and learned by looking at dozens of trees, not all are pruned the same. You can tell just by looking that some shapes will be easier to maintain than others. Thinning of excess branches gives the tree a more organized and trouble free look, but if you prune too many at once or do like a hedge prune effect on a Maple, you will end up with a disaster. Sometimes this causes the tree to go into overdrive to provide more branches. You can end up with clusters of branches that can give the tree a garish Halloween like quality when the leaves begin to fall. Instead of just one or two new branches at the end of a branch where it was shortened, you get dozens looking like stick pom-poms.
If you find a tree that has been shaped for a particular look, such as weeping, you need to be aware that this plant may need special seasonal pruning to keep its weeping shape. Usually pole branches or water sprouts do develop on the top or the weeping branches proceed down to the ground and keep growing. With this type of tree, its best to give it a good look over after its in its final place, and then many times during the season. Even once a week will give you the eye to see what is wrong. If you wait till the plant looks way out of balance, you may not be able to effectively remove the extra growth without ending up with many large scars on the tree. So when branches are just starting to stick upward, just pinch off with your thumb. It takes a minute or two for each visit. Weeping trees are right up there with topiary or espaliered trees and need more attention to keep them looking great. Most lawn maintenance guys don't do specialized trees, and if they do you are one of the lucky few. So keep this in mind when picking your maple tree. If you purchase a Japanese maple tree, it may need special pruning to keep it's ornamental shape and size. It could be compared to a slightly larger Bonsai tree in that you have to restrict its top growth. If you are fertilizing an ornamental, it may be taking on much more rapid top growth. If planting certain other landscape plants around it, remember when you fertilize them your fertilizing your tree also.

Pruning is much easier if shaping is done when trees are younger or you have an idea of how your plant will grow and establish itself into your environment. Its much easier to just plant a nice shade tree maple and not think too much about it unless it sustains some wind or ice damage. By planning ahead, you can prune your tree so as to make it much less likely to split or cause damage from a storm.

Photo (at right) is of balanced top growth, though you can see that there is a power line nearby, most of the growth will be above and away from power lines. This was planned by pruning so that the tree would not have a major branch leading towards power lines while considering the whole look of the tree as it matured. The tree also has one main leader and no branches that would create a tight V crotch in side growth.

As a tree grows, limbs may get larger but they do not move up their height on the trunk of the tree. Stand near to your tree and imagine the limb much larger or longer than it is now. Does a certain branch have an odd angle or cross among other branches which could cause damage to the tree bark. These branches can be removed or do a process called "thinning".

If a tree is already established and is in healthy condition, It may still need some selective pruning to keep it from hanging over a roof or driveway. Trees continue to grow for 30 to 45 years and then growth slows considerably, on Sugar and hard maple trees. Other trees, such as Japanese Maple trees can get weedy looking or have branches that no longer have leaves except way at the top of the tree. Try to find out additional info about the type of Maple you have (Links listed below) enjoy the benefits of a wonderful benefit of nature in shade, privacy and sound absorbing qualities.

Bypass hand held pruners - Cutters with one blade that is half moon shaped with curved
metal bar to hold pressure against the branch. May need to be sharpened to make
work easy.

Pruning Saw - used for most limbs about an inch or two in diameter; up to about 6inches.

Pole Pruner - This can be a straight saw blade, a bypass type cutter or even a mini electric
saw. Used mainly getting branches without having to use a tall ladder

Loppers - Adjustable handle cutters with one blade and a bar to cut against. Blade is half
moon shaped. These give good leverage on smaller branches that fit into the cutting blade.

Wire saw - A metal cable line made to cut limbs of various sizes. Tossed over limb and cut by
moving back and forth.

Chain saw - The largest cutter has a revolving bicycle-like chain with metal teeth that cut into
the wood. Makes fast work of large branches but is very heavy and takes some skill to handle.
When applying to wood, be careful of bounce from the blade when coming in contact with
branch.. Requires gas or electric and maintenance of chain.

A Japanese Maple tree can be a great asset to your landscape. Though this tree had a very good start as a straight twig with very beautiful red bark , it sustained a few set backs in development. The tree looks pretty rugged, for now, but still savable and worth it due to having some very pretty leaf structures.
It may end up being used in a landscape miniaturization since the tree is already several years old and is stunted by the unplanned pruning and very dry sandy soil. It also sustained damage to the central leader by being hit by a lawn mower when only 6inches tall. Eventually (see photo) the tree grew a new side leader and the top of the original leader is now dead wood.

Dead wood can be pruned out anytime of the year. Spring is when it is usually noticed the most, but do not heavily prune the whole tree while its just about to leaf out as it may further stress the tree and cause further problems. Major pruning also causes the tree to go into overdrive and produce way more branches in clusters which can make a tree look unappealing to look at. So always start slow, and make it a process through the garden season till you feel comfortable removing unwanted growth. In the sandy location, this tree could be cut back and grown like a shrub, but it would entail to continue to prune out older growth wood every season and leave only the newer growth.

Best to wait till its dug and moved to prune back or even take cuttings to start new, but straighter trees. This is worth saving but will not work where it volunteered itself into the front yard landscape right where the power lines go into the house.

Most nurseries carry fully pruned and matured maple trees that are very lovely. Check the overall structure and compare how several have grown, and how they were pruned. (To see some nice varieties of pruned Japanese maples, see video below)

The simple version is that a small tree or cutting is grown in a container that limits the roots as well as pruning to keep the top growth limited to a very small size. These are usually kept indoors or in patio gardens. Pruning a tree to force it to stay within a certain size can be done with many varieties of trees, but the maple has a niche of its own and is quite beautiful.

The more in-depth part of the process is learning how to properly root prune as well as top prune. What branches to keep and how to shape them using wire. Knowing the growth habits of certain trees for the making of bonsai can take some practice, yet Japanese Maples are some of the more easily formed, and great for a starter plant.