Pruning and Grooming the Japanese Maples
There are a lot of garden chores underway at my Bedford, New York farm. And now that I am spending more time at home, I'm happy to get outside and work.
This time of year, everyone is prepping the garden beds, cleaning up the woodlands, and doing lots of spring pruning and grooming. Pruning is about more than just looks; proper pruning improves the health of the plants, prevents disease, and encourages better flowering. There are different pruning strategies for different times of the year, but overall the goals are the same - to control the shape, to keep bushes and trees fresh and open, and to allow for better air circulation through the center of the specimen. Yesterday, in between video conferences and business calls, I spent hours in my Japanese maple tree woodland caring for my beautiful trees. Many of them are varieties of Acer palmatum - trees that have been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. These trees are so special to me. They provide countless variations in size, leaf shape, and color, creating a landscape of beauty and texture.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- My Japanese Maple Tree Woodland is located in one corner of the farm just beyond my allee of lindens. Few trees are as beautiful as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape. Hard to see their splendor here as the new growth is still developing.
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- It was quite chilly and windy, but it was a good day to get some pruning and grooming done in this area. Pruning means to lop or cut off any superfluous branches or shoots for better-shape and better growth. These trees look fuller every year – in part because of my regular pruning. I cut out scraggly interior twigs and branches, but leave the structural branches alone. Small, corrective cuts can be made any time of year.
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- When pruning, first I assess each specimen from the bottom and then start cutting out any of the “three Ds” – dead, damaged, or diseased branches.
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- The branch I cut off was dead – see here, there is no visible green. Cutting away the dead wood first helps to see the shape of the plant without any distractions.
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- Always cut just above a bud eye. The “bud eye” refers to the area on the stem where branching occurs. Dead wood is typically brown in color, so it is very easy to identify.
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- This branch was already broken, perhaps by a falling branch during a storm. I cut it off as well.
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- Here is another dead branch that needed removing.
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- Look inside and there is absolutely no green – just a brown woody color. Although pruning can be done almost any time of the year, this is a good time when one can see the branch structure before the trees are all full of leaves.
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- And always work with sharp pruners, so the cuts are clean.
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- See how clean this cut is – a sign that my pruners are sharp and prepared for the job at hand. Aside from using the right tool for the right job, it is very important that the tools are well cared for and in good working order.
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- While I prune and groom, Dawa gathers the leaves leftover from last fall. When working near young, delicate trees, try to do as much of this work by hand.
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- When using a rake, be sure not to get too close to the young trees, so they don’t get damaged.
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- All the leaves and other organic debris are loaded on our dump truck and brought back to the compost pile.
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- By midday, many of the leaves in this section were picked up. Next, the crew works on clearing the area of any weeds.
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- I am constantly adding to this maple grove. This group of 122 Japanese maples was added in 2015. The trees varied in size from three to six feet tall.
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- Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China and Russia. The leaves of these trees can be deep red to green to variegated.
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- Red leafed cultivars are the most popular. The leaves in the Palmatum Group are most typical of the wild species. The leaf lobes are more divided, nearly to the leaf base. The selections in the Palmatum Group resemble the palms of hands with outstretched fingers.
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- I also have more rare varieties. These leaves are deeply divided, but each lobe is also dissected, giving them a lacy effect. These are from the Dissectum Group.
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- Here, one can see some of the developed leaves as well as some of buds.
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- Here are the leaves on a green Japanese maple.
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- By day’s end, the area looks great. Japanese maple trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because their root systems are compact and not invasive. Through this woodland grove, they line both sides of the carriage road.
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- I purposely planted my Japanese maples beneath larger trees. The varying heights of these trees also add a nice texture to the grove.
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- And the best location is a sunny spot with afternoon shade.
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- As these trees continue to grow, their colors will become even more vibrant. I love seeing how they develop through the seasons – many have such interesting growth habits and they burst with color in the fall.
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- This Japanese maple grove makes me so happy. I love driving through to see how well the trees are doing. There’s still a lot of pruning and grooming to be done, but the area looks so much better already.
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