KellyUCSB
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Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 2:57 pm

Calling all Japanese maple experts!

Hi there,

I am a super novice gardener with a young Japanese maple that I am determine to keep alive. This is it's 2nd spring. I so far am happy with how it has bloomed minus two branches. One has small buds on it, the other has none. I was about to trim the one with no buds, but then did the fingernail test and both branches are green all the way to the tip. Should I just wait it out til next spring? (Heads up, the pics appear vertically if you click on them)
tree1.jpeg
tree2.jpeg
no buds
no buds
Also, just a few questions regarding Japanese maples in general.

Most people in the Portland, OR area seem to have weeping maples, but mine is much taller so I'm assuming it is an upright variety? There's a lot of information on how to prune the weeping maples to yield an aesthetically pleasing tree, but not much information on how to prune an upright. My landscaper told me to "just leave it." It just seems to have a very awkward shape to me, especially the super tall branches. Will they fill out more as time goes by? Or should I just trim them off to make the rest of the branches fill out more?
tree4.jpeg
Also, would you recommend that I trim the very bottom branches to create more of a trunk like a traditional tree? Or just let it do its thing?
tree5.jpeg
Finally, the rain will (hopefully) be coming to an end soon. Last year I would place a slow-drip bucket near the tree every so often during the dry summer. Do I need to do this again this summer?

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Kelly (n00b gardener)

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Japanese maples experience winter die off — I don’t know if this is the correct method, but what I do is go around flicking likely dead branches and when they sound dry/hollow bend them to see if they snap like bone. Then for larger breaks, I go back and trim to clean cut.

Next step is pruning — maples make Y- shaped branches so unless they are both headed in pleasing shape and direction, I cut one that is headed towards center or cross and rub.

Finally the major branches that are still alive but need to be eliminated. In this case, if yours is going to be a tree-form, definitely get rid of excess lower side branches.

The lowest twiggy branches could also be growing from below the graft which you will definitely need to get rid of —- I can’t tell from the photos on the iPhone — maybe later when I view on the iPad ....

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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Oh, unless severe drought, I think what you need to do is just put a good layer of mulch 2-3 inches from the trunk out to beyond the drip line.



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