I bought this specimen about 3 or 4 years ago. We planted it in our yard & it is growing sloooowly as expected. It's a beautiful baby with infant leaves that change colors & come & go with the seasons as naturally should. However, I noticed today (I don't know why I didnt realize it much sooner, perhaps because I was just concerned with it growing it's root system?) the bottom of the tree has suckers coming out so that it looks more like a bush right now. Is that normal? Should I be pruning ? Right now it's about 2 - 21/2 feet tall I think it was a 1 gallon plant about a foot tall when I got it. I can't remember the name of the place off hand but I know it was strictly a maple tree place on line. It came very small but healthy. I'm not sure if I was supposed to be working on it's shaping or not. Please advise. Its still a young thing but beautiful red in winter.

now for the &.. I also have a container maple that I misplaced the label for & have forgotten it's name. It's about 4 years old & it's winter leaves or mature leaves are a dark burgundy red. Spring leaves or new growth are green with red liner along the tips. This tree is now a bush & grows wild! I just had to prune the long branches that came out about 4 feet or so from the main plant. We put up a gazebo on our patio & it needed to be pruned. I know early May wasn't the right time but it was getting out of hand. We can't move the half barrel it's in because over a year ago the roots grew through to the ground, we're happy with it's position thankfully. It lives through all kinds of wind & weather & it also is a beauty. I vaguely remember when I got it that it said I could either let it bush like it has or let it tree. Any suggestions? I just bought jobes tree spikes for out newly (1 year planted) Thornless hawthorne which made it very well through this past winter here on Long Island. Should I use them on my maples?

I appreciate any help I can get from any experts out there.

Thanks,

Kathy