Best time to prune Japanese maples with 'essential rule' for healthy growth

Japanese maples are a stunning addition to any garden, but they can benefit from a prune - providing it's done at the right time and in the right way, according to gardening experts

Japanese maples are trees that could do with a good pruning, but only if it's at the apt time and done right.

Gardening experts insist on sticking to guidelines when giving these stately plants a trim. Moana Nursery's gardening hotshots have let on that Japanese maples can be pruned pretty much through the year. Yet, they point to "the best times for major pruning" either during winter's cold grip before buds start showing potential, or early summer's mild warmth.

They spilled: "Winter is easy because the tree has no leaves, which makes it easier to see the branch structure and make the right cuts. In early summer, the presence of leaves will help you judge the right amount of thinning needed to see the structure of your tree."

The nursery mavens caution against harsh pruning aimed at altering or restraining your Japanese Maple's natural form, warning it'll lead to faster and more disorderly growth, reports the Express.

For the correct way to prune, garden pros recommend first hunting for branches that are broken, dead, or out of shape. They let us in on a tip: "You will usually spot deadwood near the tips of branches or in the interior of the tree. Avoid removing only the tips of branches as this will result in rapid and unruly growth. Instead, you can either remove part of or the whole branch."

When just trimming part of a branch, the advice is to cut back to about a quarter of an inch above a sprouting bud—the half-moon bulge on the branch. The green-fingered team at Moana Nursery have dished out some sage advice for those looking to prune their Japanese maples, saying: "An essential rule is to cut back to a branch or bud that is pointed in the direction you want your Japanese maple to grow."

They also offered guidance on the art of precise cutting, explaining: "You can cut to a bud, a live lateral branch (smaller branches growing off of the main branch), or back to the branch collar, the swelling where the branch attaches to the main trunk."

The nursery experts continued with their counsel, stressing the need to avoid harming the branch collar. They cautioned against cutting into it, advising instead to make cuts a couple of inches beyond the collar. The specialists underlined: "Cutting into the main trunk or into a branch collar can often be an entry point for disease and pests."

They also advised gardeners to pay attention to suckers, or sprouts from the base, noting: "Suckers are a key area to prune on Japanese maples. These are 'new growth' typically emanating from the trunk base or nearby ground area. Suckers can siphon vital nutrients meant for your tree, thus their removal is critical for healthier growth."

To keep trees in tip-top shape, the gardening gurus recommend starting with the elimination of dead or dying branches. They elaborated: "Cleaning off dead or dying branches can help mitigate the spread of diseases, focus your tree's nutrients and growth into healthy limbs and promote new and healthier growth."

They also suggested that branches which cross should be pruned to stop them from rubbing against each other or the main trunk, as this can cause damage and let pests and diseases to infiltrate.