A friend recently gave me an Acer palmatum 'Olsen's Frosted Strawberry' that she'd picked up at a nursery. It's very leggy and I would like advice about pruning it to achieve a nicer shape. Or would it be better just to stake it? The first picture shows its natural state. In the second picture, I'm holding up the two long branches. Almost all of the photos of this cultivar show only the foliage, so I don't have a clear idea of what the tree's shape should be. Could any of you post a photo showing the entire tree? Thanks very much! Samara
There are a few photos of the entire tree in this thread: Acer palmatum 'Olsen's Frosted Strawberry' | UBC Botanical Garden Forums (via this forum: Acer palmatum cultivars (photos) | UBC Botanical Garden Forums )
I would use a couple of canes and tie in the branches as per your second photo. You can train and manipulate Japanese maples to the shape you want.
