question on ramification and pinching

Ralph

I have two Japanese Red Maple (acer palmatum atropupureum) young trees recently purchased from nursery. One I estimate two be about two years old ( 16 inches high, 1/2 inch trunk) and the other to be closer to 4 years (38 inches high slightly more than an inch diameter). Both came from a retail nursery, and in my care have sprouted new chutes and branches everywhere. I want to contain some of the growth or redirect it, and I have been reading on the net about pinching techniques, and want to insure that I will be doing this correctly. Is it correct that I need to pinch off the the new growth at the node? Will this encourage back budding on this branch? Will it encourage newer branches? Will this also encourage leaf reduction? What season is it recomneded to do this? Can I perform limited pinching now, to stem growth on some of the branches? I have some branches that continue to grow chute after chute, while others are not growing, and they are beginning to look a mess.
I also have read about piching off all the leafs in the spring after new growth. This is supposed to help with leaf reduction and ramification. But I read one article that says that Japanese style maples are more sensitive to this method than other maples. Anyone with experience pruning and pinching red maples (not dissectum), I would apppreciate any advice you have on this matter.

Advertisement