Question about branch development on a shantung maple

[DesertPanda]

Hello,

I wanted to field a quick question. I am currently working a shantung maple that was chopped and allowed to regrow three leaders. I am styling it in an open umbrella style. I am getting some very nice growth on the branches. Is it preferable, on maples, to allow this growth to continue unabated to thicken it up or to pinch and clip to get it at the right height? This is the first maple I have really worked with.

 

[RKatzin]

When growing for trunk development I dont cut anything. I want it tall and bushy and swaying back and around in the breeze. I do avoid overloading shoots in the lower end of the trunk, which is the part you will be using later. Reduce these to three or less to avoid bulging in the trunkline. Let them grow a season or two and then swap them out for new ones. To get the tree to grow a trunk bigger it must have the need for a bigger trunk and reducing the top reduces the need to produce a bigger trunk, Let er rip!

PS: check out metromaples.com for great site on shantung maples. I want a Baby Dragon!