Japanese Maple Not Sending Out Side Branches..hormone?

W3rdSmyth

This isn't a question for myself, as I don't own any Japanese maples yet, this is a question for a friend.

He told me that he has several young Japanese maples that aren't sending out side shoots. He says they were collected from under a larger tree growing in the ground a few years ago, and he heard something about trees collected in this fashion lacking a certain hormone for branching properly but he can't remember what it was. There was supposed to be something that could be used on the trees to encourage this branching.

Does anyone know what he was talking about? He can't remember, and he'd like to do what he can to encourage side branching on his trees.

Thanks very much.

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rglewis49

If they are young trees, they are naturally trying to add height in the early years. has he pruned them at all? Tell him just to make a cut at the top of the tree just above a node, it will start sending out side shoots in no time. If these trees are going to be future bonsai, the best advice i can give is to put them in the ground, cut them back to about 5-6 inches, and fatten up the trunk before working on the branches.