[Seadon]

I would prune that bottom left branch off and shorten the middle left branch that is hanging out about 16" and then bring in the devil horns on too so it's all nice and symetrical. Then use some limb sealant...it's this black spray stuff you can find in any lawn and garden center...to seal off all of the branches you pruned, and you will be right as rain.

*experience: 8 years as a professional landscaper and groundskeeper.


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[Seadon]

The little scoliosis like crook in the trunk will self correct in a few years


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[Seadon]

What a difference a week makes. This thing is sprouting leaves like crazy.

Oh yeah...lookin good, I would just trim the devil horns and say that's a good lookin tree


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[Seadon]

Haha! My first post to the forum. Anyway, I have about fifteen Japanese maples and will add more again this year. (Been gardening almost as long as I have been keeping fish, and I've had fish for fifty years!) The Japanese have been pruning these trees forever, and you have to deal with allowing the tree to assume its natural height and width to maximize the beauty of its form. Anyway, not very exciting viewing, but it looks like Plant Amnesty has a lot of good Japanese pruning videos, and with maples, you need to decide which style of pruning you prefer. Give the plant some time to "speak to you" and you will see which stems to leave alone.



Here's a video link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vETbhB_6Gs



There are other videos suggested as viewing which may be more the "style" you are looking for. That looks like it will be a good sized maple! Enjoy it, they can have very subtle beauty, like contrasting bark or keys. Fall colour is exceptional! My first (Bloodgood) is now well past my second story window and just gets better every year.

Yeah good suggestion, we would generally wait til they were in there permanent home a year before we pruned. And I didn't think about that, the Japanese are master gardeners, artists really, when it comes to these things. YouTubeing some traditional Japanese maple pruning vids isn't a bad plan.


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