Pruning First Year Maple Seedlings??

[BrierPatch]

I'm wondering if I should prune my first year JM Acer Palmatum seedlings this season or wait till next spring? They seem to be currently growing their second growth this year now.

 

[arreaux]

September might be a little late?
I would wait until February or March to prune.

 

[Paradox]

If you want them to get thicker trunks then no you don't want to prune them.

Pruning will slow down growth.

If you are happy with tiny little trunks with huge leaves, then prune in late winter/ early spring

 

[BrierPatch]

Thanks for the replies. No on tiny trunks and huge leaves I thought it should wait but wanted to get others thoughts on the process. I've got plenty of time to let them grow out and get some of them into the ground for thickening them up.

 

[Dav4]

I'd be thinking about wiring the trunks and getting some movement down low... as in just at ground level and up... before they become to rigid to bend safely. Next year, work the roots, tweak the wiring/trunk movement, +++ fert... but no pruning the canopy for a few years... my 0.02.

 

[BrierPatch]

I'd be thinking about wiring the trunks and getting some movement down low... as in just at ground level and up... before they become to rigid to bend safely. Next year, work the roots, tweak the wiring/trunk movement, +++ fert... but no pruning the canopy for a few years... my 0.02.

Thx @Dav4, I did loosely wire about 4 or 5 of them so far, was planning do to some more this weekend. Also in the forest planting in the pic above, I tied some thin cotton string around the base of 4 or so together to make a clump planting to try that out to see if it works. Kind of like some do the washer trick. So far those are looking pretty good.

 

[rodeolthr]

FWIW, but not to start an argument, I do all of my pruning and root work in late October/November, once the leaves are mostly gone. My trees all sit out on benches and are frozen solid each year when we get our snow and winter cold. Oddly, they never experience any damage and flush out beautifully in spring. I cannot advise this for other climates.....this is just my personal experience.