Amur chop timing?

[vaibatron]

So I have come across 3 to 4 very large Amur maples. I hear these are extremely hardy!

Is now a sAfe time to perform a trunk chop? Or should I wait until right before buds break in spring?

 

[0soyoung]

So I have come across 3 to 4 very large Amur maples. I hear these are extremely hardy!

Yes ideed they are

Is now a sAfe time to perform a trunk chop? Or should I wait until right before buds break in spring?

Yes, you could chop now, but you will have less of a die-back problem if you wait until spring - 'as buds swell' or even after it has hardened leafs.

 

[MACH5]

Yes no worries on their hardiness. I left mine outside all winter long last year with no die back whatsoever. Extremely tough trees!

I personally prefer to do all heavy pruning and work in early spring. This is a debated issue with some folks preferring to do it in the fall. Sometimes is a matter of personal trial and error and see what works best for you in your area.

 

[vaibatron]

Yeah i have read mixed opinions. Virginia is supposed to get a serious winter so no need risking serious dieback. Better to err on the side of caution. Thanks for the input!

On another note, these trees have a beautiful red fall color!

 

[MACH5]

Yeah i have read mixed opinions. Virginia is supposed to get a serious winter so no need risking serious dieback. Better to err on the side of caution. Thanks for the input!

On another note, these trees have a beautiful red fall color!

Yes I would agree. I think for those that live further down south I believe there may be little risk in doing heavy work in the fall. For those of us up north with severe winters, I think that you may be at more risk of dieback. IME I have had much better success with waiting until spring. My experience is heavily based on Japanese maples but I still would recommend same for all deciduous work.

 

[Giga]

Bad winter this year?!

 

[Dav4]

Bad winter this year?!

The Polar Vortex is due to make another appearance this winter.

 

[wireme]

Coming soon too! Mild here now, wet snow falling but forecast for -4f in a few days. Fahrenheit, what a strange unit of measure, -4 sounds not cold at all.

Amur's have been overwinting well for me so far, zone 3, no dieback but no pruning later than end of august has been my practice.

 

[Giga]

The Polar Vortex is due to make another appearance this winter.

So more snow or cold colder temps-or both

 

[SlowMovingWaters]

So I have come across 3 to 4 very large Amur maples. I hear these are extremely hardy!

Is now a sAfe time to perform a trunk chop? Or should I wait until right before buds break in spring?

Slightly north of you here. We do most of our trunk chopping march-april before budswell.

 

[nover18]

Yes no worries on their hardiness. I left mine outside all winter long last year with no die back whatsoever. Extremely tough trees!

I personally prefer to do all heavy pruning and work in early spring. This is a debated issue with some folks preferring to do it in the fall. Sometimes is a matter of personal trial and error and see what works best for you in your area.

Mach- have you had any issues with bleeding after heavy work in the spring? What sort of timing do you look for in amurs and japanese maples?

 

[vaibatron]

So more snow or cold colder temps-or both

Remember last year in VA? Its supposed to be more harsh.

 

[MACH5]

Mach- have you had any issues with bleeding after heavy work in the spring? What sort of timing do you look for in amurs and japanese maples?

No not whatsoever. Maples do bleed, sometimes profusely but I have not had any problems with it. My experience is very limited with amur maples so my answer is based more on my experience with Japanese maples. I usually wire and prune in late winter/early spring (March/April) right before bud brake otherwise buds are likely to get damaged. I make sure I seal all cuts with cut paste. I do the same with the amurs and thus far no issues either.

 

[garywood]

No not whatsoever. Maples do bleed, sometimes profusely but I have not had any problems with it. My experience is very limited with amur maples so my answer is based more on my experience with Japanese maples. I usually wire and prune in late winter/early spring (March/April) right before bud brake otherwise buds are likely to get damaged. I make sure I seal all cuts with cut paste. I do the same with the amurs and thus far no issues either.

Mach, I'm very confident that maples have been around for 250million years. That's a LOOOONG time. If they haven't adapted in that time span to cope with "bleeding" then there's a pretty good chance they wouldn't be here.

 

[MACH5]

Mach, I'm very confident that maples have been around for 250million years. That's a LOOOONG time. If they haven't adapted in that time span to cope with "bleeding" then there's a pretty good chance they wouldn't be here.

Yes great point Gary! Let me clarify that I do not seal cuts to prevent bleeding but to promote faster healing.