Pruning the Acer palmatum Osakazuki that Monty Don helped plant in the BBC Big Dreams Small Spaces.
General Tips!
Don’t remove more than 20-25% of the crown.
Don’t remove branches over half the diameter of the trunk.
Always start with removing Dead, Downward and Crossing branches.
Prune acers in winter when they are dormant.
Ant’s Tips!
Sketch or photograph the tree in summer to get an idea of how it looks in full leaf so that you can plan what to remove.
Use bright ribbons to mark branches that you want to remove them take a step back and walk around the tree. It will help you imagine what it’ll look like without this branches.
If unsure, just leave it for next year.
6 Comments
Hi Ant. Tying ribbons onto the branches in order to identify those that need cutting is a great idea. Take care. Nick
great job Ant on Pruning the Acer in winter
I love to get up into the tree/shrub near the trunk and Zen Prune..
Become one with the plant.
Can always go back after in full leaf to make adjustments and tweaks.
Have you seen Monty doing Ikebana in his first episode of Japanese Gardens? 😀 Thats what he would have done with the tree too. 😀 😉
It´s much easier to prune in mid summer, if you are in doubt. You also have to be aware of to long internodes. Some of the branches is way to long, without any side branches.
Is there any chance of an updated video. We would love to see if the levels worked out as planned!