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acer pruning
patzz
Posts: 54
Acer Negundo Variegata. Hi everyone and Happy New Gardening Year. My problem is : Is it ok to prune this tree now? On occasion I have trimmed it but it has bled. Now it needs a good shape up. Any ideas?
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Posts
Hi Patzz, This tree is also known as a boxelder. From: http://www.easybloom.com/plantlibrary/plant/boxelder-1
"Pruning:
Generally, pruning isn't necessary, but small trees can be pruned in order to accentuate shape. If pruning is desired, make cuts during summer/early fall (for climates with mild winters) or between late fall and mid-winter (in climates with freezing-temperature winters) in order to minimize sap bleeding."
It's a US site so as we are in the UK I would take 'freezing climates' advice and prune it now if it really needs it but I expect it will bleed regardless.
Hi Bob, I expect it will. Normally I would,nt dream of pruning it but my daughter ill advisedly had to have this tree and it just grew and grew and was not planted in a place capable of letting it flourish. And guess who gets the job of pruning!!! Many thanks for your reply. I shall be taking the saw round soon. Good old Mum and Dad
Prune it as soon as possible when it's dormant, then it shouldn't bleed. Once the sap rises it will bleed, so never prune in spring.
acers are real bleeders aren't they.
Acer negundo doesn't go well here and has never got to need any cutting but the field maples drip for days if I cut a branch off, even in the winter
In the sticks near Peterborough
My OH pollarded ours between Xmas and NY because it was over 8 m tall with lots of ingrowing branches, it didn't bleed at all. May not have so much shade this summer, but a bloke along the road did his last year and it grew like the clappers again, is now almost as big again as when he started.
Thanks everyone. Bleeder or not it,s for the chop. And the sooner the better. Though I suspect it will give it the incentive it needs to double in size. Triffid anyone ??
Hi Verdun, I think this is less refined and has made a tree. My daughter was sold it as a small tree for a small garden. Depends on your interpretation of small I suppose.
I have a Flamingo acer that does not look happy,being eaten ,i also have other Acers that the leaves are starting to look moth eaten,and brown on the ends,should i cut my Flamingo back and how much,it is in a pot and about 4feet tall.
Quite a few of the branches have reverted their leaves to green so after reading the above I think that I will mark the branches now and prune late Winter to Spring!