I agree that double chopping a Japanese maple will most likely leave you with a frown,it sure did me.5 years ago I spent right about 70$ on a nice thick landscape acer palmn.Chopped it down in spring then a couple weeks later relised I needed a lower chop for my "grand design".Ok no problem one of those lil' branches can be my leader
.So I rechopped it and let it grow.All the new growth that came from around the cut was pale and weak,by the end of the month the tree wasn't growing at all.
