People contact us all the time asking when to prune Japanese maple trees. We believe that there is no wrong time to prune Japanese maple trees (or any other tree, shrub or flower). Certain times are better than others, but it can be done as needed at any time.
Prune it when it needs to be pruned. When you wait you might miss the opportune time and then problems with growth and shape compound themselves.
We’ve never had an issue arise due to our liberal pruning methods.
Japanese maples tend to go through growth spurts in the spring and fall seasons. You can expect your tree to put out 3-6 inches of new growth per year. Spring growth is more vigorous than fall growth.
Energy is focused on putting out new growth, which leaves less focus on callusing over new cuts. Sap running in the spring can make newly pruned Japanese maples slightly more susceptible to fungal infections.
We prune in the spring and fall and have never had an issue.
That being said, the best time to prune Japanese maple trees is during the winter and summer months.
Winter is a good time to shape the frame of your tree. Pruning in the winter months helps stimulate new spring growth. With the leaves off the tree, its easy to see which branches are rubbing or growing at odd angles and need to be removed.
Summer pruning stimulates less new growth. Its easy to find dead branches that need pruning and its easy to shape the tree based on how the leaves are laying.
Age trumps date.
The age at which we prune our Japanese maple is more important to us than what time of year we prune it. We don’t prune our young Japanese red maple seedlings until they are about 2 years old. We snip the tops off to encourage multiple branching. Otherwise, we’d end up with a tall, thin whip-like tree.
This Japanese maple has been pruned to encourage multiple branching which will result in a fuller tree.
When a cut is made on a branch, the tip will die back to the next bud break. From that bud break, 2-4 new branches will begin to grow. The direction that the bud is pointing determines which direction the new growth will branch out from. For each cut made, 2-4 new branches will begin sprouting. This adds fullness to the shape of the tree.
Japanese maples are like children.
When you begin shaping them early, they are likely to grow nicely and keep the proper shape. If you come across one that hasn’t had the proper guidance, its not too late to help shape them into beautiful happy trees.
Branch Collar on a Peaches & Cream Japanese Maple
Not all cuts are made to encourage growth. Cutting back to a main branch or the trunk will eliminate new growth. Its important to make your cut just before the branch collar. Don’t leave stubs and don’t over compensate and make your cut flush with the tree. The branch collar belongs to the main branch and cutting it will cause unnecessary injury.
Most ornamental Japanese maples are grafted. You will want to pay attention to where the graft union is on your tree as some can be higher up on the trunk. Be sure to prune off any branches that are below the graft union or you’ll have two trees in one. Plain versions of Japanese red maples are usually used as root stock and the leaves will look oddly different from the ornamental variety growing on top.
Here is where this Sango Kaku Japanese maple was grafted to hardy rootstock.
When we prune Japanese maple trees, we don’t just look at shape. We remove branches to promote air flow and allow sunshine to reach all the leaves. We remove any branches that are dead or diseased, rubbing other branches, and any growing inward or in odd directions.
A mature tree before pruning.
The same tree after pruning.
On the before and after pictures above you can see how unnecessary branches were removed from the inside of the tree allowing better air flow. We also removed a large branch from the left side that threw the shape off balance.
Much like humans, the older a Japanese maple tree gets, the harder it is to bounce back from injury. As they age, it takes more effort to heal from cuts, protect themselves from the elements or adjust to stress. There are a couple guidelines to follow when pruning Japanese maples trees. These guidelines are especially important when dealing with older trees.
- Don’t remove a limb that is more than half as large as the trunk.
- Don’t remove more than 1/3 of the crown.
Another tip: Bypass pruners or lopping shears make the best, cleanest cuts. Look for blades that come across each other in scissor action. Avoid tools that make guillotine- like cuts. The blades smash and splinter the wood.
Have any questions or comments about when to prune Japanese maples? Post ’em below!
Hi, I just received a young Japanese Maple and the branches are long and leggy. On some branches there are no leaves on the tips. I am tempted to prune it now while it is young and then plant it. It is early spring here in Maine. Is it ok to prune now?
Sybille,
Yes, prune it now and get it planted. Do not put it in a wet spot, don’t plant it too deep and don’t fertilize it.
I have a young japenese maple. It had a few leaves at the beginning of spring. Then while I was treating some other trees with neem I sprayed it too, to prevent it getting fungus. The tree turned white lost the leaves it had and now has not produced anymore. It also got nicked by our lawn guy. Anyway mostbof it appears to be dead but some top branches seem alive and a shooter is coming up from the very bottom. Do I cut it down to the shooter or get rid of it .
Andrea,
Japanese maples do not like oils, that might have done it. The growth from the bottom is probably a sucker from the root stock and will not resemble the tree that you had.
Mike, when I planted my Japanese maple about 20 years ago, I placed it intentionally off-center in a section of the front yard and it now provides shade on the porch in the late afternoons. It’s has a lovely shape naturally, however some lower branches are impeding the walkway, and of course when the snow comes down, the branches get weighted and some are thigh-height.
I’m in VT, getting ready to prune her, but the result will be lop-sided. I don”t mind that the vinca below is advancing (less lawn, less mowing!). Will it be an issue if its unbalanced, other than aesthetically?
Also, I have some “babies” below, some 8-10″. I’d like to replant them at another location further north. Do it now or wait until spring? Ground could stay frozen for quite a while up here.. Would a good site be the forest edge? Keep them in pots all winter?
Thank you! Sorry about the long email!
Giannina,
You are not going to hurt the tree by trimming. If you don’t like the look trim the other side to balance it. Or not, it’s your tree, it will be happy either way.
I think the ideal time to transplant those seedlings would be very early spring as soon as the ground thaws before they leaf out. Or you could do it now, I don’t know that it matters. If you do it now they have all winter to make some new roots before spring. The edge of the woods would be fine. Don’t put them in pots.
Hello! I have a 60+ year old (green) Japanese Ornamental Maple. It’s taller than our house and we’ve been it’s caretakers for roughly 5 years.
Every year, it puts out what our tree trimmer refers to as “runners.” They are all roughly two foot shoots that come out of the foliage and there are hundreds of them.
I had heard that this might be due to poor pruning in the past.
Now we’re not sure what to do. There are hundreds of these shoots and it cost $300 to cut them back every year, but is that even the right thing to do? The tree is huge and very old, so now sure what we should be doing.
Aleah,
Cutting those shoots back is only going to promote of them each time. Me? I’d leave them be and allow them to develop and the tree will return to a normal growth pattern. Unless the tree is too large for the area that it’s in, I’d just leave it alone. If it is too large, that is going to be a problem that you have to decide how to deal with it.
Hi, I have a red maple that did not grow any leaves after a VERY cold winter (zone 4/5 but colder than usual this last winter). My dad had the same thing, but his started to leaf out on the top of the trunk late in spring. Mine started leafing and branching out at the bottom of the trunk late spring. I was hoping more would come back as the entire branch section is bare. Is this salvageable, and if so, how can I help it? *I’ve had it 5 years or so
Rhiannon,
You need to remove the dead part. This is how you test to see if a plant, or a branch on a plant has died. Just scratch the bark of your plants with your finger nail. If the tissue below the bark is green and firm your plants are fine. If the tissue is brown and mushy that part of the plant is dead. But is that growth from the bottom the same as what you had or are those just suckers from the rootstock, below the graft union.
Hi!
I got a 2-3 year old maple that has nice branches but is a little ‘tall’ and ‘uneventful’ at the bottom 10-12″ of trunk. There are two small shoots (one near the soil and one midway) – will these grow to be branch like in a few years? Is there any way to stimulate growth of proper branches by slicing a bit of the outer bark or anything like that?
I appreciate your help 🙂
Grace, no, I really don’t think you can stimulate “proper” branches at this point down low. Those might be fine that are coming, but the one near the soil line might be coming from the root stock and will be nothing more than a sucker that is different that the actually tree.
Mike, I live in CT and the plow dumped a load of snow on my three foot crimson Japanese maple and one whole side or the tree broke off. Is there any way to get branches to grow on the bare half? Or should I just prune the good side and Hope some will start growing toward the bare side?
Jan,
Prune it some and wait for it to fill back in.
Hi!
I got a 2-3 year old maple that has nice branches but is a little ‘tall’ and ‘uneventful’ at the bottom 10-12″ of trunk. There are two small shoots (one near the soil and one midway) – will these grow to be branch like in a few years? Is there any way to stimulate growth of proper branches by slicing a bit of the outer bark or anything like that?
I appreciate your help 🙂
Hi Mike!
I have a 4 year old Bloodgood that was damaged around year 2 by a heavy snow – by spring, ⅓ of the trunk snapped off. Because of this the height had remained largely the same for the last 2 years and it’s so short.
Is there any way to encourage height growth from the trunk? It is roughly 3′ tall. Leafs out beautifully but it’s as wide as it is tall, and looks too squat for the space.
Thanks so much!
Carrie,
In time your tree will regain some height. You can trim some of those lateral branches. Eventually a few leaders should emerge and gain height.
I have a Japanese maple that has branched out primarily to one side, how to I get new branches to grow on the other side?
Michelle,
Just trim the tree for balance, it will fill in on it’s own.
We got a house with japanese maple tree in the front yard. I pruned it( shaped it) to make better shape. End up with overgrouth, too many watersprouts growing verticaly. Too tall, Twice volume now. Also color changed. Used to have red leaves , now green. Regret prunning it. Also it over watered from lawn watering. Is any fix? How can i stop it from growing too big and tall.
Zaya,
The water sprout situation should correct itself. You can prune more but it won’t really make it better looking.
I was gifted a Japanese maple who’s graft had dried. The root tree is about 4 feet tall and just a skinny trunk. It had a few sparce limbs and leaves but much of the leaves burnt off in our texas summer heat wave.
It’s planted in a large pot which seems to be maintaining good moisture, without being too wet.
Is there anything i can do to encourage new growth this fall or will i have to wait till spring to see if it survived?
Jen,
In Texas it will need shade, water and some light pruning to get it to fill out.
Hi Mike,
I have a gardening client with a gorgeous laceleaf, probably about 5×5. It is draping over their front walk and lawn and they would like me to prune it to “keep it small”. I advised against taking height down but will probably take off some lower branches. Should I take the whole branch to just in front of collar? If not, guessing I’ll address the same issue before too long. Thanks
Colleen,
I’m thinking not because an entire branch is going to leave a pretty big gaping hole in the tree. See if they can live with it trimmed lightly until Thanksgiving then move it to a better place???
Hello from Kansas! I have a maple that i planted almost two years ago. It’s is very; thin with pretty much a single trunk and whippy long branches coming from that trunk. Lots of leaves at the tips of the branches. In fact the tallest branch extending straight up from the trunk has leaves on top and is flopping over. It’s like the branches are so long and thin that they flop probably too much. It’s spring so i may prune a few branches just to see if new ones branch off. I think the side branches can be made stronger if i prune them right. My biggest question is, what about that long top that droops. Ive heard you shouldn’t top a tree off… i wonder what i should do??
Barb,
Cutting that top isn’t really going to do any harm, you want the tree nice and full.
Hi Mike.
I planted three bloodgood Japanese maples in my south facing yard last year. They are about five feet tall. Two of the trees are producing areas of very clumped leaves at the juncture of some of the lower branches, and very few leaves at the ends of branches where there are leaf buds. In many cases new leaves are coming out at the bases of branches and not on the smaller branches themselves. This seems odd, and worrisome. Please advise me. Thank you.
Bob,
Doesn’t sound good. I’d be concerned that the trees are planted too deep or planted in a wet area. Or maybe got to dry last year. As long as feel they are planted properly, just wait and see what happens, then prune away any dead later.
Thanks Mike.
Last May I bought a 1-year Japanese Maple that’s supposed to be a coral pink variety. It’s certainly pretty, but I haven’t seen the very light spring leaves I expected. Oh well. It says it will top out at 6 feet.
I have it in a large pot in the center of a succulent garden. And I will be putting a cottage style pollinator garden in front of the succulent area. I want to encourage it full and upward so I get nice, multistem trunk views from underneath. I’ve never actually pruned anything before and I don’t want to mess it up.
It’s currently staked, but low, and has 5 main branches with about 12h & 36w inches of growth. When and how should I start with modifications?
Lily,
At the most I’d simply trim the tips a bit to get it to fill out nicely. If it’s wider than it is tall it sounds like a weeping variety and might need staking to grow more upright.
I hired a gardener to take care of the weed issue and for monthly maintenance. I was out of town and came home to find the Japanese red lace leaf tree butchered. My landlord will be furious! I wish I could attach a photo of the end result. My question is; Is there any chance it will come back or should I replace it and fire the gardener?
Tere,
More than likely it will come back just fine.
Hello! I bought a couple of month ago a little japanese maple tree about 60cm high, with just the main trunk and some thin branches at the bottom and top. I replanted him in a larger pot and it has just prodice some little blanches of new leaves. It is summer here in Australia and I was wondering it if would be good that I trim the little branches with old broken leaves to enhance the growth of the new ones or better to leave him alone until next winter.
Thank you!!!
We have a 15 yr old miniature acer which has always loved to its name as it is only about 1.5 meters at the most. This summer, it has had a growth spurt from the bottom of the trunk and now it is about 2.5 meters tall. There is one strong healthy branche which has split so there are two branches at the top. What should we do about these growth spurts? Thanks Emily
Emily,
Does this new growth look like the rest of the plant, or it possibly from the rootstock with just green leaves. If from the root stock it should all be removed. See this https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/?s=pruning+grafted+trees
Hi Mike, I purchased some Japanese Red Maple trees through the business center. I think they’re quite tall, about 3 feet or better and they don’t have branches on the bottom. All the leaves are on the top. They’re beautiful but I think they need to be cut back Do you agree and how much? Is it safe to do it now?
Martha,
Probably not. I’ve changed my thinking on harsh pruning of Japanese maple seedlings. I’d just pot them, let them grow out and maybe just clip the tops a little bit. They should fill in nicely.
Okay, thanks much.
Hi, I but I house last summer and there is an about 10 foot tall or so Japanese Maple growing within 2-3 feet of my inground pool, within the pool fencing. I need to cut off a couple of major limbs in order to be able to clean the pool in that area, but I’m worried about damaging the tree or killing it. I’m also worried about the root structure damaging the pool. It is a vinyl-liner pool. Is there a way for me to cut large lower branches without hurting the tree, or might it be best just to remove the tree? I hate to do that because it’s absolutely stunning. 🙁
I can provide a picture if it is helpful .
Camden,
Sorry, no way to post photos here and I don’t do the email. I don’t even go to the office.
Camden,
Removing some lower branches should not harm the tree. Moving the tree, only when it is dormant, would be the better option, but it won’t be an easy task. Hire professionals like I did; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/11/moving-a-large-laceleaf-weeping-japanese-maple-tree/
Mike, I just moved into a new house I South Carolina and the Japanese Maple in the yard had a very large dead limb. I cut it off just below the dead part which was about 12″ above the trunk. It is bleeding now and I think I have done serious damage. The trunk is very large (about 10″ wide) and the part I cut is a little less than half of the size of the trunk. It does still have two other large healthy branches coming from the trunk. Have I ruined it? Is there anything I can do to fix what I messed up? Thanks!
Jarrett,
I don’t that you’ve done anything wrong or done any permanent damage to the tree. Pruning a dormant tree, especially removing a dead branch, is not going to harm the tree.
i really wanted to say i absolutely love this site the more i read the more i learn thank you mike 2 years ago i lost my favorite tree in a storm ( Japanese Maple ) so Im going to buy some seeds from your site and give that a try, because as you know they are very expensive tree to buy again Thanx
Thank you! I appreciate that.
Hi mike! I’m looking at an emperor I upright Japanese maple. I want to keep it by my roof line and by a picture window. Is it possible to keep this tree around the 8-11 foot mark? Or will that harm it?
Mike,
I think 8′ to 11′ for any upright Japanese maple is doable as long as you keep it that size from the start.
Hi, I have a dwarf Japanese red maple that was grafted with a green maple that grew much larger than the dwarf. It is approximately 10 years old and the green part was taking over the tree. There were 2 large branches coming from the grafted area. I apologized if my description isn’t that great as I don’t know much about them other than the leaf color. This tree was uprooted and given to me. I planted it in a half barrel and it seems to be doing ok even though this past winter I cut the 2 large branches off. I now have about 20 or so shoots coming from the area of the 2 branches that were cut off. I only want the red leaves and am wondering if there if a way to prevent the shoots from coming back or do I just have to prune them?
Al,
You have to keep removing them. If you cut close to the stem you’ll minimize the number of suckers and use on finger pruning to keep up with this. http://japanesemaplelovers.com/one-finger-pruning/
HELLO, I AM ELENA FROM URUGUAY SOUTH AMERICA—-I HAVE DONE QUITE ELL WITH THE PROPAGATION OF MY MAPLE JAPANESE TREE—-MORE THAN HALF BORN FROM SEEDS AND THE REST (FORGOT THE NAME) FROM SMALL BRANCHES THAT I ROOTED–
I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM: THE SMALL TREES ARE OK BUT THEY GROW VERY HIGH AND WITH VERY THIN TRUNKS—–I GOT 4 OF THE TREES AND PRUNE THE UPPER PART AS I SAW YOU DO—-DON “T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT THEY DIED—–NOW I AM AFRAID TO DO THE SAME TO THE OTHER ONES——AND WHAT CAN I DO TO GET THE TRUNKS GET STRONGER ??
REMEMBER THAT WE ARE IN SUMMER !!!!!!!
THANKS——-ELENA
Elena,
Pruning is not going to kill anything as long as you leave plenty of leaves on the trees. Or just stake them up and prune in the winter. The trunks will get stronger, not a lot you can do to help them but be patient.
Hi, I have a 30 year acer palmetum (sp) which has what I believe is winter kill that has affected one third of the 30 foot tree. Also one main branch was removed many years ago down to the bottom and black ants have moved into the deep crease where all branches are stemming from. Now that I have a bare section the tree is very lopsided and we are hesitant to cut off the heavy side. One branch is dead at the top but still has some small sections of leaf growth at about the middle it. Can the tree be cut way back to just the skeleton? I would appreciate any advice, would hate to lose this tree which is the focal point of a very small front yard. Thanks in advance!
Cindy,
At the very least trim the tree to give it some balance and remove any dead wood. You don’t have to cut it back as hard as I did, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt if you feel that necessary. Clean up the area where the ants are, trim back any loose bark etc., there has to be a reason why they are in that part of the tree.
Hi,
I don’t know if my question actually got posted so here go again.
I just bought a japanese maple from the local florist and noticed it had a note attached to it saying “no pruning”, is that really true?
I see these trees pruned everywhere, especially on this site =)
I plan to keep this one potted and inside and want to prune it to a desired shape and not letting it grow wild.
/M
Magnus,
I have no idea why they would say that, I prune my Japanese maples all the time.
Hello, thank you for all of your great information. I have a Japanese maple that is 10+ years old that did not grow many leaves this spring… They are limited to one full branch, and the tip of another. I am worried that if I cut off everything that is not growing leaves, I won’t have much of anything left. Any suggestions? Thank you.
Laura,
Prune as necessary, the tree will come back, but it will be slowly. They are worth the weight. What happened is most likely winter damage. Many of mine did the same thing. We pruned them, they look sparse, they’ll be fine.
Hi,
I have a Japanese Maple that I planted at my back porch..Was told it was a (Dwarf) but now it is probably 20 feet high…It is over my roof line and up against my house..It needs to be cut back quiet a bit..I have never pruned it.What and when can I cut it back..It would look better if it was half the size it is now..
Thanks for any help…..
Lynn,
This kind of pruning on a Japanese maple is possible, but you really need to do it when the tree is completely dormant, usually after Thanksgiving. It will be slow to come back and fill in, but in most cases it does so nicely. First year it will not look good at all, second year it will look much better.
Thank You Sir!
I have a mature Japanese red maple that has at least 100 one inch seedlings under the tree. I put seven aside in pots. Will they all mature into full grown trees and how do I take care of them. Sunlight, water, fertilizer, etc.
Great web site
Paul
Paul,
The seedlings will grow into mature trees. They don’t grow exactly like the parent tree. They might have green leaves, maybe red leaves. They’d probably be happier planted in your garden and be easier to care for than in pots. I wouldn’t fertilize them now, just plant them in nice rich soil ammended with good compost or rotted cow manure. Keep them watered but not soaking wet.
I just pruned my 47 year old Japanese maple. I love the shape it is. It has a lot of interior branches that are crazy shaped. I love it but now I’m scared I pruned it too much as we’ve had a mild winter and its almost spring. Can I send a pic an you tell me if I need to be worried or even prune the interior more?
Hello Stephanie,
please go to http://www.japanesemaplelovers.com
My japanese maple is about 30″ tallwith a bowl like top. Color red, but now, August 2014, the ends of the leaves are turning white..this will continue until they all fall off….do they need water? fertilizer?
Mary,
The tree could be too dry. Don’t fertilize it, but do water it. The leaf damage is done but if you water now it will be fine by next spring.
My question may not relate to pruning. I have a Japanese maple that is doing quite well. It sits in front of the house facing south west. Every spring the leaves are a gorgeous shade, but after a few short weeks they start to show light colored damage. I cannot see any aphids or bugs, but that is what I think is causing the problem. Any thoughts, mike? What can I do?
I’d be reluctant to recommend a treatment until you know for sure what’s going on with your plant. I’ve never had aphids attack my Japanese maples and if they did, you’d see them on the leaves. It could be just that your particular tree is seed grown and doesn’t hold color well. Unless of course the leaves are actually damaged.
I have a new Japanese maple with many bare/possibly dead tips. How do I deal with those?
Elizabeth,
Just cut them off, pretty much normal after a harsh winter. The tree should be fine.
I have a mammoth red Japanese maple and I started a seedling I got out from under the 7′ by 12′ and now it is 5 years old and it is tall and not weeping and I never pruned it. It is spring and now I learned the best time to prune is in the fall and winter. I am afraid I can not save it at this point what can I do. thank Bob
Bob,
If you grew it from seed it’s probably not going to weep. The weeping varieties are grafted onto seedlings. You can prune now, just not as heavily as you would during the dormant season.
Thank You Mike
I planted a Japanese Maple 5 yrs. ago, my dog had chewed off the young trunk about half way down, after the tree was about one years old, I now have branches growing out of the stubbed main branch. It’s still alive but hasn’t grown too much in height. Will it grow eventually? Thank you for your response. Marie in Buffalo, NY
Marie,
Chances are your Japanese maple will be fine. Most Japanese maples are grafted and usually the graft union is near the soil line. Therefore, you still have a stem of the desired variety. New growth coming from below the graft union will not resemble the plant that you once had. Suckers from below the graft union should be removed. See this page https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2011/07/suckers-on-grafted-plants/
Hi Mike
I just planted a whole load of Japanese maple tree seeds (a few thousand I collected) in a frame with white plastic on, just like the ones in your videos. I had kept them in the fridge over the winter. When they start to grow when’s the best time to plant them on in pots?I’ve heard they don’t like to be moved. Should I leave them and wait till next winter?
I appreciate your posts and great info and have enjoyed reading your handbook. Thank you! You say try avoid using pruners or loppers. Would you suggest a chainsaw on larger branches, or would that not leave a clean enough cut? or just stick with a hand saw?
Use bypass pruners or loppers- as in the kind where the blades bypass each other in scissor action….not bypass using them. Sorry for the confusion!