Good grooming and good health make it necessary to remove dead wood and small branches at the center of weeping maples. They can hold unsightly dead leaves in the winter, an eyesore as well as an inviting habitat for bugs and fungi. On the upright maples, crossing branches should be removed, and foliage can be thinned to permit us to see the beautiful trunk. This is an ongoing process that can be done anytime. It does not take much time and gives great rewards, both in the beauty and the health of the tree.

When weeping maples are very young, if they have been grafted low to the ground, you might want to stake one of the branches up to form a leader. This should be done by firmly pushing the stake into the ground so the stake is stable, and is near the trunk. Gently pull the dominant branch up, tying it to the stake with a figure eight of green stretchy plant tie, so that the tie is tight on the stake and loose on the branch. When your tree is able to move in the wind it forms a stronger trunk. This process should be repeated for several years so that gentle curves are formed in the leader, from which branches will hang down. Those of you who want a "mushroom" shaped shrub do not need to stake their trees up but a couple of feet, or not at all if your tree has been grafted on a standard of 18 inches or more.

The best time to prune maples is often, and lightly. Maples are vigorous growers, and they respond very strongly to hard pruning, producing many buds around the wound. This can lead to an unsightly "broom" of growth, and it will then be necessary to follow-up by removing most of these buds, or the shoots, if we miss the buds. This effect can be minimized by pruning back branches smaller than 3/4" in diameter at mid-summer after the new growth has hardened-off, and before the fall growth spurt. All cuts that are over 3/4 of an inch must be made in late winter/early spring, just as the buds swell, so that they will be able to heal quickly.

Maples should be pruned using the drop-crotch method, that is, cutting back to a side branch that is heading in the desired direction or branches completely removed. In this way you will avoid stubs and a bushy un-natural look. Cuts should be made flush, with clean sharp tools. Large cuts should be made with a small saw, and only pencil size and smaller with shears. All cuts need to be covered with either the wound paste sold in bonsai shops or Phytech 50, the wax and lanolin product that we use in the nursery, never use black plastic tree seal. Covering the wound prevents infection by fungi or bacteria that can spread, causing systemic disease.

When a major reduction in size is necessary, it should be done over several years. You should never remove more than 20% of the volume of your maple at any one season, and much thought and planning should be done before attempting this difficult task. If you do not have pruning experience it may be best to call in a professional. Getting a clear mental picture of the end result is essential. Once a maple has been reduced, continued pruning will be necessary to maintain shape and thin the canopy. Large branches high in the canopy must be removed,

As I prune, I keep in mind the effect I am making on the winter silhouette of my maples. I enjoy the beauty of their structure the most during the winter: the strong lines of the trunk and lower branches, and, moving up the trunk, the lighter lines of the smaller branches, and finally, the fine, fine texture of the twigs at the branch ends and the apex. A well-pruned and groomed maple presents a beautiful silhouette etched against the deep blue of the winter sky, and gives us a much-needed focal point in the winter garden.