I am looking at maples that have leafed out, not fully on some, but almost. There are some branches that don't have buds on the top part, but are leafing out below. The branch doesn't look completely dead on some. Is it better to wait awhile before pruning back, like until the branch is definitely dead, or to prune back to growth now to encourage what is coming out to grow? Kay Dye
Kay Dye, yours is a question many of us have early in Spring. I have noticed that if I cut as soon as I notice some tip die back, then I end up cutting two or three more times the same branch. What I do then is I wait until a pair of healthy looking leaves have fully leafed out and then I cut just above them. Gomero
I can say that it's also correct for me, so I apply the same method, with excellent results. I don't cut die back in any branches until I have a new sprout and leaves on the affected branch. I found that it's the only practical way that you can be sure you reach the end of the dieback. The only exception is if the dieback branch is almost reaching the main trunk, so in that extreme case; it can compromise the whole plant so I prefer to cut completely the branch. I did this with an 6-7 years old A.P. 'Viridis' that I got on-sale for a ridiculus bargain price of 15$. It was neglected, and had some branches in bad shape so I decide to cut them off. Now it looks better and (although is still recovering) it shows new buds. I hope that I can save it. Nelran
THanks so much for the input. That's kind of what I thought. I have noticed the same thing with cutting back too soon, that I then have to cut again further down later in the season. I am trying really hard this year to let them go. Also, it seems that if I don't cut close to the first new growth, then the next year go back and cut closer, it seems to be better. whis4ey, what do you mean? Do you not cut dieback at all? I ask this because there is a lot of dead twiggy growth on my Beni Schichihenge, but it's getting too big to get in there and clean it out. It's on a slope and I can't get my ladder near without worrying about killing myself. Since it's that big, I kind of figured it is strong enough to be on its own and I should just let nature take its course and not worry about pruning the dead from it anymore. What do you think about that?
No, I do the same as everybody else ... I let them die right back and then either break them off (if totally brittle) or prune them off I, too, have a Senkaki where there is substantial die back on the top branches. There is absolutely no way I am going to try to get up there with a ladder. I console myself with the thought that if you don't look up high you can't see it :)
I took whis4ey's comment to mean that he waits for the wood to become clearly dead-looking before snipping it off. --- edit --- Ha. So the man himself was typing an answer whilst I tried to put words in his mouth. Foiled again.
