Question on Developing New Leader with Short Internodes on Acer Palmatum / Japanese Maple

[bwaynef]

Read near the bottom of post 9. I know it’s a long boring post but by skimming one misses all the pertinent information

Enjoy your DWTSjr.

 

[wireme]

In most cases i try to develop the future apex with a small sidebranch while a leader is pulling next to it. This way you have taper, short nodes on the eventual apex and a powerful tree. Once the sacrifice has done the job, cut it away completely and select a new runner on the apex.

This is how I have been trying to build my maples as well. I’m liking it so far.
Sometimes it’s hard to set it up, maybe there’s a bud where the next intended leader will be so I prune a few internodes above it hoping to activate it just enough to grow short internodes. (As opposed to pruning right above it where I know it will activate growth for sure but internodes will be long).
Sometimes it works and sometimes it takes another year or two to set up properly. I had one just right and ready to be chopped too and a dog broke off that new leader in the spring. It took me four years to get that twig back just right and this is a tree that I want to grow taller too, needs to repeate the process many times still. Seems like sometimes I can set up a new leader with short internodes in one season but other times it can take 3 and that’s a long wait for a short section of future trunk.

 

[Bananaman]

Enjoy your DWTSjr.

Next year. Over now.