I have a young Maple in the backyard, that in the last 3 years has taken off like you would not believe. My yard is not huge...a couple of years ago the tree fit just nice, providing just the right amount of shade. It rules the yard these days.
Also, it's working it's way into the cable and phone lines, not to mention it'll soon be into the three phase that criss crosses our neibourhood.
Anyway, the bottom line is she must be pruned back at some point. I've seen mature Maples that have been trained back all their life, and they look great. I refuse to pay someone to prune this thing, I can still manage it...for now.
When is the best time to cut? Right now?
Where on the branch should I cut?
Anything else to be aware of?
Cheers, Mark
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Anyway, the bottom line is she must be pruned back at some point. I've seen mature Maples that have been trained back all their life, and they look great. I refuse to pay someone to prune this thing, I can still manage it...for now.
1.When is the best time to cut? Right now?
2.Where on the branch should I cut?
3.Anything else to be aware of?
1. cut now 2. everywhere 3. Wife
My wife would not let me trim my Silver MapleS now its $800.00 to take off the "top" 25 feet lawn is wrecked.. roots through the driveway.. drains running slow CUT THE DAMN THING NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I asked the landscaper to trim the trees at the office property. They came about two weeks ago, they cut the branches right back at the trunk and took off everything 12 feet and down on al lte trees. They look great.
I have a 55 year old Maple out front. Way past its prime. Wife says no money to be spent on it. It needs pro care as it's way out of my league. So we wait.
Had 2, one died. Planted a little King Crimson Maple in it's place to torment the future owners.
Maples are sweet when 25' tall, then they get nasty. My father laughed when I planted the one in the back.
So Ray, are you serious when you say hack it back?
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
the corkscrew willow that the fort is in, i cut back to the 15 ft mark this spring. i got a lot of grief from my wife because it blocked out the view from our neighbours. i told her it would grow back. i will be trimming it back again as soon as the leaves drop. it used to be in the 40 ft range and crapped all over the place, including filling up the eaves.
We have a lot of maples, large and small as they grow like weeds (too many my wife says). I prune them right back to the trunk, in the fall after the leaves go, or occasionally in the spring before they bud.
-- Edited by gparis7 on Wednesday 11th of November 2009 06:54:25 PM
Too bad such a large growing tree was planted there, an expert would want to transplant the tree, not prune it... but if you want to keep it there, Maples are different than many other species of trees, you can prune a Maple in full leaf (mid summer) or jan/february vs. when it is dormant but is flowing sap, it wont hurt the tree but might be messy ... what it sounds like you want to do is pollarding (or topping) the tree, cutting the top growth off to keep it short... it will eventually get top heavy etc... look up pollarding on the internet....
also what type is it? you may want to consider another species in its place... or type like a japanese or amer maple...
Ah our Manitoba Maples are kinda fussy and you can only trim them late in the fall or early early spring or they just DIE like Carl wants... Hey Carl you could botch up a trim job ....no I didnt say that !!
now its $800.00 to take off the "top" 25 feet lawn is wrecked.. roots through the driveway.. drains running slow CUT THE DAMN THING NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
