Any gardening/tree experts on here - need advice on an Acer Palmatum

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ace571

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Any of you guys and gals gardening experts?

I need some advice on pruning a well established Acer Palmatum tree.

Is this an appropriate time to prune it, or is it too late?

Thank you in advance
 
Beautiful plants, frustratingly slow growing. The advice Charles Morgan points you to is (unsurprisingly) spot on. We were fortunate enough to have one in the garden of the house we have just sold. I would only prune an acer palmatum sparingly if at all. They are very prone to die-back, so should be pruned I think back to the main stem. If that takes too much out then I'd leave it large. Not sure where in the country you are, but in the south the sap may have started flowing again already, in which case that's curtains for any pruning until next year.
 
I have three Acers at home, all of which are showing signs of budding (an encouraging sign as none have been particularly well looked after following my move and two dropped all their leaves very early). I would most certainly not prune now, however chill it gets in the next week.
 
Beautiful plants, frustratingly slow growing. The advice Charles Morgan points you to is (unsurprisingly) spot on. We were fortunate enough to have one in the garden of the house we have just sold. I would only prune an acer palmatum sparingly if at all. They are very prone to die-back, so should be pruned I think back to the main stem. If that takes too much out then I'd leave it large. Not sure where in the country you are, but in the south the sap may have started flowing again already, in which case that's curtains for any pruning until next year.

Thank you. I pruned the tree about 6 years ago, pretty heavily back to the main stem as it was too large. It's grown back beautifully, but now required a light prune to maintain it. I trial cut one peripheral branch and that is now bleeding. As you say, sap pressure has built up now ready for spring (I'm in Reading). Oh well, I will wait until after leaf fall this autumn. They are beautiful trees.

I have three Acers at home, all of which are showing signs of budding (an encouraging sign as none have been particularly well looked after following my move and two dropped all their leaves very early). I would most certainly not prune now, however chill it gets in the next week.

Yes, agreed, it's too late now. Sap pressure building up. Thanks for the advice Charles.
 
Too late now, especially down in the South.

You can, of course, do a very light shaping during the season should it be absolutely necessary.
 
I'd like a small Acer for my back garden. If anyone knows of one going begging please let me know!

Nick Froome
 
I have one in a tub spare Nick - I bought it to dress my last flat garden for sale.
 
I'll bring it down, but the tub is part of a matched terracotta pair. You could use a Tesco bag pro-tem....
 
Too late now, especially down in the South.

You can, of course, do a very light shaping during the season should it be absolutely necessary.

Thank you John

The light shaping you refer to - only during season, or can I do it now? Or due to the high sap pressure now, is this a no no?
 
I generally wait until they're well into leaf.
 

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