skip to main content

Pruning Japanese Maples

16 years ago

What's the best way to prun a Japanese Maple to give it the full beautiful look as it grows? I have a 6 foot JM that has about 10 off shouts that are almost 2 feet longer than the rest of the tree. Should I trim those back slightly or let them grow out even more. Just want to have a nice full JM as it gets bigger. Thanks for any advice.

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

mattlwfowler
16 years ago
Trimming the long shoots will give you fullness fairly quickly, but it may also clutter the structure if not done carefully. Keep in mind that you will usually get two new terminal shoots from each stem that you prune. I guess it depends on what kind of JM you have, but I prefer to focus on the structure when they are young as they will fill out with time in most cases.
Related Professionals
Carson Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Owings Mills Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Walnut Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Bell Gardens Landscape Contractors · Cornelius Landscape Contractors · Doctor Phillips Landscape Contractors · Lewisville Landscape Contractors · North Highlands Landscape Contractors · Pleasant Hill Landscape Contractors · Kingsburg Landscape Contractors · Asheville Fence Contractors · Fairmount Fence Contractors · Simi Valley Fence Contractors · Tumwater Fence Contractors · Milwaukie Fence Contractors

Related Stories

TREES 11 Japanese Maples for Breathtaking Color and Form

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

With such a wide range to choose from, there’s a beautiful Japanese maple to suit almost any setting

GARDENING GUIDES 12 Japanese Maples for a Sunny Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

The right maple in the right place shines in hot summer sun

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Great Design Tree: Japanese Maple

By Annie Thornton

Lacy form and fiery fall color make Japanese maple a welcome tree for garden or patio

TREES Great Design Plant: Coral Bark Japanese Maple, a Winter Standout

By Paintbox Garden

Go for garden gusto during the chilly season with the fiery red stems of this unusual Japanese maple

GARDENING GUIDES 13 Japanese Maples for Shade

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

A surprising variety of these understory trees is waiting to make a statement in your shade garden

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Amazing Small Maple Trees

There's more to maples than syrup. Expand your maple milieu with any of these 5 small and unusual trees

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Paperbark Maple

With fall foliage like a sunset and bark the color of cinnamon, this tree is a highlight of the landscape

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Vine Maple

Exciting year-round color and adaptability make this highly ornamental native small tree a top choice for home gardens

PATIOS Backyard Ideas: Writer's Studio and a Japanese-Inspired Garden

By Annie Thornton

A nearby Japanese garden inspires a feature-packed backyard and studio for a work-from-home Portland writer

Sponsored

Buckeye Basements, Inc.

31 Reviews

Central Ohio's Basement Finishing ExpertsBest Of Houzz '13-'21

More Discussions

Usugumo HTF : Hard to Find

2

Acer First Flame

3

Nursery Container Mediums - Sand ?

0

Scion Height When Grafting

0