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My Acer is growing in to a T
Hi All
I bought an Acer (palmatum atrpurpureum) last year which is growing in to an odd shape. It's grown about 6 inches before separating in to two separate branches which have grown a foot before heading around 3ft each in opposite directions - it looks ridiculous!
I was expecting a more round shape, is this normal? I really want to shorten the two branches but everything I've read says not to prune unless the middle becomes overcrowded. Should I or shouldn't I and if I should - when and how???
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Some Acers do have this habit and it is a matter of taste as to if it looks good or not. Just prune the offending branch now at the point it joins the main trunk.
I had one, and it did have a rather horizontal spread.. but had more than two branches! Mine was pot grown, as we were renting, I pruned it every spring with no apparent ill effect. I suggest pruning it back to a good place for the branches to fork again. Maybe leave six inches of the horizontal on both? That way hopefully branches form both horizontally and vertically?