Maple Trunk Chop

washout03

I have a few maple trees i found growing in my yard. one's a red maple, the other is a silver maple (i think). both of them are about 2 feet tall and relatively unexciting except for the bottom 2-4 inches or so. I want to make mame out of both of them. what would be the best time to chop them?
Thanks
Tom

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Larry

ideally I'd say just as the spring leaves are sprouting, but now would be ok before summer really sets in, then put somewhere shady for a while.

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washout03

not in any rush. im early spring is better, ill wait a year. Thanks for the advice.
Tom

Carl_Bergstrom

Again, Larry, are you suggesting that a late-spring trunk chop on red and silver maple will be OK from first hand experience? If possible, please let us know, so that we can judge whether we should take your advice seriously or instead with a grain of salt. Though I haven't worked with either of these particular species myself, general experience with other maples leads to me recommend against doing a chop now, after the plant had thrown a great deal of energy into developing foliage above the chop site. Nor would I recommend a chop in early spring when the leaves were unfurling. Rather, I've found that trunk chops work best in late winter, just before the buds begin to swell.

There's a more critical issue, though. While as mentioned above I haven't worked with silver maple or red maple myself, I would suspect that the leaves and in particular the internodes will not reduce sufficiently to allow you to fashion a convincing mame. I'd guess that these species if used for bonsai at all will be better suited for large-sized bonsai. Perhaps others with direct experience can confirm or deny this conjecture.

Best regards,
Carl

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Larry

Carl, im just going by what i know
I'll shut my mouth from now on.

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Carl_Bergstrom

Larry, I'm not doubting that you "know" it.

I'm asking how you know it, so that we can factor that in when we evaluate your recommendations.

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Larry

well, i have a fair knowledge of trees and plants in general, my favourite part is pruning, i love it.
I have never tried grafting yet but have air layered a few items.
i am simply suggesting that the best time to prune hard ias in the spring before the sap rises, that way the wound will heal quicker and will be less likely to put a drain on the tree.
I have never worked on a maple but it is a deciduos tree and they all prety much obey the rules of horticulture, to a degree, thio i admit a japanese maple is totally different i its needs to a field maple.

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Carl_Bergstrom

Now I'm confused.

In your first post you say that you should prune just as the leaves are sprouting.

Now you say that you should prune before the sap rises. But the sap rises before the leaves sprout. So if you prune while the leaves around sprouting, you'll be pruning after the sap rises, not before.

Which is it? I'd always thought you should prune before the sap rises, as in your second post, rather than after, as in your first. Am I wrong in that?

More to the point, if you're going to be dispensing advice, whatever your level of past horticultural experience, you need to be consistant, precise, and accurate. Sorry to call you on this but I really hate to watch the quality of the advice on this forum sliding steadily downhill.

-Carl

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Sdsumowgli

I'll jump in on this! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaa




For years I've hacked ALL of the trees back in winter.
(full sized trees, none were maple)

...but yeah...my vote goes for late winter...