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Bald Cypress are a little different...

You can take them from 30' down to 4'. Once recovered and sprouting well (1-2 years) you can pick a perfectly placed sprout to become your new leader... Depending on how extreme you want the taper that can be at any point on the remaining trunk. If you are shooting for a squat rapidly tapering trunk you start on the lower 30-50% of the tree and may do this several times over a number of years... If you are after a "taller" image, i.e., a mature flat top style, you may chop at 3' and never again...

Wouldn't do that to your maple though...

I don't mess with Japanese maples other than Tridents but I've seen Reiner Goebel drastically prune them back to a basic skeleton in late winter and build form the resulting back budding.

Jim
TX

9-Sep-2002	#8
bnsaijim bonsaiTALK Master Craftsman Join Date: Sep-2001 Location: Gulf Coast Country: Texas USDA Zone: 8b-9 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 772	Bald Cypress are a little different... You can take them from 30' down to 4'. Once recovered and sprouting well (1-2 years) you can pick a perfectly placed sprout to become your new leader... Depending on how extreme you want the taper that can be at any point on the remaining trunk. If you are shooting for a squat rapidly tapering trunk you start on the lower 30-50% of the tree and may do this several times over a number of years... If you are after a "taller" image, i.e., a mature flat top style, you may chop at 3' and never again... Wouldn't do that to your maple though... I don't mess with Japanese maples other than Tridents but I've seen Reiner Goebel drastically prune them back to a basic skeleton in late winter and build form the resulting back budding. Jim TX