Just like the title says - I am wondering when the best to to prune Acer palmatum dissectum 'Waterfall'. I want to do some interior pruning (crossing branches) also to give it some character in winter. Thanks for any help....
Fall or winter should be fine. I seal my pruning cuts with wound sealer if they are of any size at all.
No, but I just typed the word pruning in and it said sorry no matches??? I did use the search and found many threads that i need to start reading. Thanks - any good lit or websites that have overall pruning times for specific plants??
Hi Harry, 'Waterfall' is a lovely tree. I would recommend pruning just before bud break in spring if you need to snip a lot (never more than 1/4 to 1/3 the tree canopy though). If you just need to make a snip here and there, you can do that any time during the growing season. It's great to prune lightly in mid to late summer too, as maples really respond to pruning and will put on new growth before fall. Personally, I do not prune in winter for fear of running sap. As far as wound sealant however - there seem to be conflicting schools of thought. Some say yes, others no way, still others say it is pointless unless you get it on the wound within 10-20 seconds of making the cut. Like my pal Kaitain up there, I personally do not use a sealant unless I am cutting a limb with caliper larger than my finger. When I do use it, it is a product intended for bonsai cuts and is the least toxic product I could find - not far from tinted Elmer's glue actually. Unless you are sawing off some major wood, I wouldn't worry about a sealant, just be sure, as you prune, to occasionally spray your pruners with rubbing alcohol to ensure a sterile cut (especially before moving from one tree to the next). Enjoy! Pruning laceleaf maples can be quite an art, and produce some really stunning sculptures for the landscape. That's probably the activity I most enjoy in growing maples - pruning and shaping them according to the individual traits of each tree.
