bonsaikc

Rockm is right. The wood of maples is very hard and brittle when lignified. The best practice seems to be removing all large branches and using those that are small enough to be wired (i.e., this season's growth). Wire the new growth and let the wire cut in a bit (even halfway). Then remove the wire, cut back about to the first bend you added, and do it again. If the tree is healthy, you should do this several times a season to develop ramification.

Chris

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