It's not a Bonsai but

[j evans]

I need some help. As you can see this Japanese Maple is growing out of the area that it is planted. About 20 years old I need to trim it back to where it looks nice in it's spot. When you do a google search you can read on how they can't be trimmed etc or see someone trim out the deadwood. Is the best way to trim this to cut back to the nearest joint to where you want the length of the branch? I need to reduce both the height and the width. The width I think can be a bit easier with shortening the branches and maybe pulling them down some. And although I haven't had any luck with cuttings, I assume here I will have a lot to work with. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? Thanks Jamie

 

[Random User]

First thing I'd do is crawl in under that canopy and cut out the stuff you "definitely" don't want... you might find something that dictates what you "have" to do with it.

 

[j evans]

I do that at least once a year so it is all clean. There should be very little dead stuff in it.

 

[Random User]

Ok, beautiful tree... I'm glad that I don't have to cut it, I have a pretty good idea what it would look like after I'm done... maybe you could move the house?

 

[j evans]

Yep, I cut it wrong and I might be looking for a new home........

 

[Random User]

... errrrrr, divorces are expensive... I'd find an excuse to leave it alone... or hand the pruners to the critic and go for coffee. Then, when you get back... no matter what it looks like... don't say a single word!

 

[Random User]

Just as I was going to log off a compromise came to me. If you explained what the tree would look like after the pruning, you could try to move that tree to another place in the yard and plant a new nursery stock in that spot... it's obviously a good spot for this species... problem solved for the next 20 years. Although, if you opt for this plan you'd have to be sure that you planted it in a suitable location with JMs being an understory species, you'd want to replicate the space it's in now. (However, I doubt this is a really good option)

If you cut it though (assuming that you haven't done much with these maples), I'll warn you that the bark is thin and does not like to be damaged. I would not use anything that remotely "crushes" the limbs... I'd use an angle grinder with a cutting disc of some sort (even a high-grit sanding disc, 60 or 80)... and, expect die back if you don't get the timing just right. I wonder if a tourniquet would be a better way to go, but thats a LOT of tourniquets... I have a Korean Maple that I set back by using pruners instead of a rotary cutter; I just didn't know better... lesson learned the hard way and I'm still kicking' myself for not thinking of it before hand.

 

[Random User]

On second thought, ignore my last post... I'm beginning to have the feeling of "guilt by association" and don't want to have you needing a couch to sleep on till the divorce papers come through.

 

[c54fun]

That thing is incredible. You can and should prune it. This is a video clip of a little info on pruning. I have one that I planted this year. I'm so envious of yours.

If it where mine I would prune each year striving to accomplish this look. You have enough tree to do this.

 

[Random User]

@c54fun,

That this is amazing hey. I wonder what the trunk lines are like. If it were mine, it would be "hacky hacky, choppy, choppy; plop!... but then again, I don't have a wife to give 1/2 my money to... I'm sure he'll find the right solution.

To me, it looks like Mr. Snuffleupagus's big butt.

 

[Grant Hamby]

Don't forget to wear a helmet... ?

 

[Dav4]

The truth is that, sometimes, landscape tree...even nice ones like this...outgrow their location and need to be replaced. Over time, these weeping dissectums can easily reach 10-15 feet high and at least as wide. My thoughts would be that you should wait until the leaves fall then really eyeball the structure for a meaningful but tasteful reduction. If the results are acceptable, run with it. If not, cut it down and replace with a newer, younger version. By the way, I don't think it's truly outgrown it's location (if you don't mind not looking out of that window), though it will over the next few years. If you want to see out the window, you need to plant something else.

 

[Djtommy]

I think the top of that corkscrew can use some fine-tuning too.
I agree with dave4 about the maple

 

[LanceMac10]

Open her up!!!

 

[j evans]

I am going to wait until leaf drop and then I can see what is going on. Just seeking opinions and any valuable input people may have. I know that a wrong cut isn't the end of the world unless you do a trunk chop but I think that most of you can understand the caution that I am exercising. I don't think that moving the tree is an option and it already covers part of the window so we are use to that and kind of like the view under the canopy of the tree. I can just see with the tree touching all three sides of the house that shortly is the time to do something about it and really I should have been on it for years. The tree is nice but the only thing that I wish, besides being trimmed up nicely is that I wish the trunk could be more interesting. Like most JM it is grafted and when we purchased it, it was I'm guessing a 3' straight stick with leaves on the top. So the trunk is strait and lacks much taper or interest. Anyway, thanks for all the interesting advice and after some more thought and a lot of leaf drop I will get to it.

Jamie

 

[Starfox]

That is a pretty cool tree though, the colours are lovely. I have just ordered my first Acer and oddly enough as a landscape tree so I'm keen on seeing how you get on with it.
Good luck!

 

[Eric Group]

The truth is that, sometimes, landscape tree...even nice ones like this...outgrow their location and need to be replaced. Over time, these weeping dissectums can easily reach 10-15 feet high and at least as wide. My thoughts would be that you should wait until the leaves fall then really eyeball the structure for a meaningful but tasteful reduction. If the results are acceptable, run with it. If not, cut it down and replace with a newer, younger version. By the way, I don't think it's truly outgrown it's location (if you don't mind not looking out of that window), though it will over the next few years. If you want to see out the window, you need to plant something else.

This.

I need some help. As you can see this Japanese Maple is growing out of the area that it is planted. About 20 years old I need to trim it back to where it looks nice in it's spot. When you do a google search you can read on how they can't be trimmed etc or see someone trim out the deadwood. Is the best way to trim this to cut back to the nearest joint to where you want the length of the branch? I need to reduce both the height and the width. The width I think can be a bit easier with shortening the branches and maybe pulling them down some. And although I haven't had any luck with cuttings, I assume here I will have a lot to work with. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions? Thanks Jamie

View attachment 121218 View attachment 121219

"When you do a google search you can read on how they can't be trimmed etc.."
Who says you can't prune them? Rediculous. These disectum varieties are not as vigorous as regular palmatum but should respond find to a normal prune. Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but if it is a green light- GO FOR IT! Now is a great time to hard prune JM. If you wait til Spring you can really knock back the vigor by cutting off the growth after the stored energy has been distributed to the branches. If you do it now (or any time between now and soon after leaf drop) the tree sets new buds with that energy over the winter/ Spring. Not a big deal with normal JM, especially in Bonsai when you might be trying to slow growth, but with a variety like this where you are clearly concerned with vigor... might be a bigger concern.

 

[j evans]

Still haven't done anything and it keeps growing. Has anyone done hedge pruning on a JM like this? Of so, how did it turn out? Is this a good idea or not? I figure I can reduce it by about a foot all over at least. Thanks for the help.

 

[Jzack605]

For the love of god don’t do hedge pruning on a landscape tree like this.

there’s some very good sources posted here, particularly the video. Go back and review those.

focus on these aspects first. It is likely once this is all done you won’t need to do any more.

1. Don’t remove more than 20%

2. focus first on deadwood, crossing/rubbing branches, broken or diseased branches

3. Don’t cut anything over .5” unless absolutely necessary

4. don’t remove too much foliage that it exposes top branches or too much bark as you risk sun scald.

but in all honesty if it is so intimidating that you still haven’t done it 4 years later I would strongly recommend just hiring a certified arborist familiar with this style pruning to do it.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Take some pictures of the trunk, let's see inside there