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Acer

phil.rundphil.rund Posts: 1
in Problem solving
We have a mature Acer which has sprouted red leaves every year. It is around 7 feet tall. It has just produced leaves but only on the lower left side. The remainder is bare with many dead looking twigs. Any suggestions please?

Posts

  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    Very common, even in mature Acers.  You can prune off any dead branches, but be sure to cut only through dead wood.  If you cut through living branches the tree will bleed sap.  

    Your tree might look a bit lopsided for some time.  If you mulch around it with some ericaceous compost, and give it a weekly liquid feed (you can get specific feed for them, same as for Azaleas and Rhododendrons) from Spring to Autumn, it will encourage new growth.  It can take years though for them to regain a balanced shape. 
  • KeenOnGreenKeenOnGreen Posts: 1,831
    @phil.rund   Another forum user has just reminded me that there is an advanced pruning technique called notching.  You can use it to get a tree to produce branches on a specific side.  

    If your tree has lost so much branches, or is so lopsided that you were thinking of getting rid of it, then it might be worth trying as a last resort.  

    I am going to try it on one of our Acers, but only after watching some videos about notching on YouTube.  

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