Your little maple mame is wonderful. I love it - it does look better in a thinner pot. However, I am concerned that it will make it through your hot summers with less soil?? Do you have others and do you keep them in a tray of sand?
Gary -I am wondering why you want to lose the first branch - are you trying to eliminate the bar branching? I am not sure if that is the case but I think I see that. I guess I would be inclined to try wiring them - maybe one up and back and the other down and forward - as opposed to cutting off one of them. If that is possible
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