Terms of Service. Its good to do an annual pruning every year to cut off all the dead and diseased branches. Burgundy Lace and Crimson Queen are among your best options. Your email address will not be published. Whichever type of Japanese maple you have, light trimming under the branches for access is recommended since the branches droop as the plant matures, and weighty limbs can grow too low and even put stress on the rest of the tree. The leaves that are coated with sooty mold fail to make food and prematurely drop off. Can you bring a Japanese maple back to life? If the trunk does not give way, press the accelerator slightly, giving it more gas until the top of the trunk comes forward to the ground. Thanks. There are 5 types of branches you want to consider removing from your Japanese Maple. Whenever you see the listed pests you have to control the population with a good insecticide. Someone confirm if this is a good or poor idea. The last step is to create a top layer with a veiled form. You can buy cut paste from many garden centers or plant nurseries. Broken, dead, or diseased branches. He describes himself as a "tree-hugging dirt worshipper" who is a member of multiple gardening societies and foundations. Light pruning can be done at any point in the year except spring. Small species are grown as bonsai specimens in small pots or containers. Be sure to pick one thats not going to kill the insects that are beneficial for us, Mix the oil and soap and pour in an airtight bottle, Take 4 tablespoons of the solution and mix with a liter of water, Spray on both sides of your Japanese maple leaves, Make sure the insecticide reaches the underside of the leaves very well, Mix the ingredients and spray in your Japanese maple tree, The neem oil is very effective in killing the pests that cause sooty mold, So keep repeatedly spraying this solution on your tree every week until the sooty mold is eliminated, As a precautionary measure, spray every 2 weeks even after the mold has gone. Get daily tips & tricks to help make your best home, Pruning Upright vs. Weeping Japanese Maples. ", illustrations were straightforward. Place the root ball on a piece of burlap and tie the opposite ends of the burlap diagonally together. The milder the weather, the easier the Japanese maple will transplant. Water the newly planted maple with 2 gallons of water. Enjoy! What time of year should you prune Japanese maple? The neem oil is very effective in killing the pests that cause sooty mold. Dig up the Japanese Maple within 2 feet of the trunk. Identify all the natural elements that have affected its growth since its production and determine if it needs more or less water. Stake young trees to ensure they grow upright. Pruning Japanese maples is rarely necessary in mature trees, if they have been trained when young. #3 Container $149.50 Ships Immediately. However, Japanese maples take extremely well to pruning and can be pruned throughout the year, if needed. But after reading this article and seeing the illustrations, I believe I will get my gardener, under my supervision, to cut it back a little. The Correct Way to Pot Rooted Cuttings, Nursery Stock Liners and other Plants. The next step is to prune off the branches that are severely coated by the black mold. Japanese maple trees like moist, well-drained soil and compost-enriched soil. If a branch cracks or breaks in a storm, you notice growth that's dying or is diseased, or a single branch is touching your home or interfering with a walkway, prune it any old time you want. The day before transplanting, water the tree with 2-3 gallons of water. Look at the overall shape of the tree to see if you like it. Place taller plantings nearby if that is the case, to prevent the Japanese maple from receiving too much full sun each day. This fungus doesnt usually attack unless the environment isnt favorable for the infection. In this article, I have discussed how to solve the fungal problems on your Japanese maple trunk in detail. So you can see proper thinning and pruning will come a long way in preventing the powdery mildew from happening every spring season. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. You have to cut a small piece of the dead bark with a sharp knife. However, the fungus does not easily go away. Removing too much foliage can make the tree vulnerable to sun scald. Make a layered cascading appearance that matches up with your tree's natural appearance. For those in Zones 8 and 9, you'll have to do the stratification work artificially. In addition, I recommend that you read the article Learn How To Grow A Japanese Maple Tree. Powdery mildew spreads very fast because the spores dont even need an external water source like another fungus to spread around other plants. These instructions provided the knowledge to trim it to the wonderful shape of a classic Japanese Maple, allowing sight lines over and around the tree. ", I'm afraid to prune it since it is doing so well. Some Japanese maples may only grow 6 to 8 feet (2 m.), but others will achieve 40 feet (12 m.) or more. Japanese maples can handle anything from a light trim to more extensive pruning, depending on the time of year and the tree's health. The Lacleafs have a weeping form with lacy-looking leaves, while the uprights have more solid leaves and grow to point upwards without tilts. Use at least 1 gallon of water when watering. How you prune and shape a Japanese maple depends on its growth habit whether it is weeping or upright. Water then can saturate the root system and not flow away and into the lawn. And trust me, If this happens it will be even more difficult to get rid of the disease than the previous occurrence. #1 Container $69.50 Ships Immediately. If you have a Japanese maple with an upright form, look for dissimilar leaves and branches along the trunk and remove them. One of the best ways to keep a Japanese maple healthy is through pruning. You do not want to bury the trunk of the Japanese Maple in the mulch. Powdery mildew can be caused by many kinds of fungus such as Erysiphe, Podosphaera, etc. First off, you have to make sure your Japanese maple isnt in a shaded condition. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Make slow, careful cuts as you assess your progress. With a pair of shears and the right technique, you can cut back excessive growth and give your tree a harmonious shape! Like the upright trees, you should separate the layers and cut off branches that do not conform to the trees natural pattern. Do not cut back the branches after transplanting. Work from the bottom up and from the inside out. Our confidence in successfully tackling the process of shaping and caring for our 3 year old, never before pruned centerpiece is quite high. Mix all the ingredients and pour the solution into the sprayer, Spray over the fungal spores thoroughly once every week until the problem is solved, Combine all the ingredients and pour it into the sprayer, Spray on your tree up to twice a week for best results. Also, you have to repeat the application at a certain interval usually after two weeks. Monique Capanelli is a Plant Specialist and the Owner and Designer for Articulture Designs, an innovative design firm and boutique in Austin, Texas. Cold stratification may sound like a complicated thing but. Trim off the top of the Japanese Maple for a more branched crown. Property damage may result. Use a sharpener during the pruning process to keep the edge on any pruning tools. Wrap the chain around the rootball and secure it with the chain hook. Sprinkle some soil into the planting hole and place the maple there but first remove the burlap from the roots. I personally like rogue branches growing in the wrong direction. It should slip out of the container easily, but if it doesn't, then there are probably roots growing out of the weep holes in the bottom of the container, and you might have to cut these roots to release the tree from the container. No matter how small the Japanese Maple is, start digging at least 1 foot away from the trunk. Pruning when a tree is dormant encourages health and growth in the springtime! {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/3\/36\/Prune-Japanese-Maple-Trees-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-Japanese-Maple-Trees-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/3\/36\/Prune-Japanese-Maple-Trees-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid2334080-v4-728px-Prune-Japanese-Maple-Trees-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"