The leaves of a Japanese maple are red in spring and fall, but some varieties have green leaves in summer.
Hundreds of varieties of Japanese maples exist, and some can grow as tall as 30 feet. The most readily identifiable characteristic of a Japanese maple is the delicate foliage that turns deep red in spring and fall. Pruning a Japanese maple allows the natural form of the tree to emerge from the mass of twisted branches with gently layered foliage. Careful pruning follows the natural contours of the tree instead of forcing the tree into unnatural square or circle shapes. Prune in late summer for the best results.
Instructions
1. Cut dead or diseased branches from the tree using 1-inch pruners for smaller branches and a small handsaw for larger branches. Work on the tree from the bottom up. Use a ladder if necessary to access the branches.
2. Remove overly horizontal and vertical branches that overlap, branches that criss-cross, and deformed branches. Cut branches at the collar where it sprouts from the older, larger branch.
3. Snip small twigs and sprouts from the trunk of the tree.
4. Remove branches between the layers of foliage so that the layers overlap, but do not touch. You should be able to see through the layers of branches.
5. Snip buds from branches to direct new growth. The buds grow in sets of two and point out in the direction that they will grow. Remove buds that will grow straight up or down.
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