When to cut sacrifice branches on Acers

yashu

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I’ve grown sacrifice branches on two of my maples, one Kashima Yatsabusa and one Amur. I intend to try to develop these as shohin and the sacrifice branches are about as thick as I’d like them to get in an attempt to limit big scars. For those that use this technique what time of year do you prefer to make the cut on sacrifice branches to minimize trauma to the tree and decrease healing time? Also do you prefer to leave the wound open or to use cut paste? My other maples have been broom style and clip&gro so these will be my first honest attempt at trunk development this way. Thanx!!!
 

Piedmont Bonsai

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Late spring after the first flush has hardened is typically the best time. Depending on size of the wound and vigor of the tree you can have complete closure in 1 growing season.

The winter is probably the worst time to make large flush cuts as the wound will dry out over the winter and you will not have healing until growth starts in spring.

you can perform the ebihara wedge cut to help heal the wounds and eliminate major scaring when removing larger branches. I always cover with cut paste when the wound is larger than thumbnail size. It keeps the callous moist and prevents infection
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LanceMac10

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Now would be pretty good in Maine. And of course use some kind of sealant on the wound.
 
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LanceMac10

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You do it now the tree still has time to compartmentalize the wound, starting to heal. Late enough that you wont get new growth. 48 degrees this morning!

"Anti-freeze" should start rising soon with the spike into the mid-high 40's.

Ebihara cut is fancy and all.....are you a practiced Japanese master? I'm not. Not to mention keeping the cut site pathogen free. Just leave a stub and you can come back later and clean up the stub.
 

yashu

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You do it now the tree still has time to compartmentalize the wound, starting to heal. Late enough that you wont get new growth. 48 degrees this morning!

"Anti-freeze" should start rising soon with the spike into the mid-high 40's.

Ebihara cut is fancy and all.....are you a practiced Japanese master? I'm not. Not to mention keeping the cut site pathogen free. Just leave a stub and you can come back later and clean up the stub.
Thanks @LanceMac10 this seems most applicable to my situation. I’m not afraid to try new stuff (as evidenced by my massive collection of dead trunks) but these two maples are ones I’d like to live on.

…we had 41° this morning in my locale.
 

Bonsai Nut

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I'm going to disagree (slightly) with BOTH @Piedmont Bonsai and @LanceMac10 on timing ! Cage match... 10... 9... 8...

But here's why. With Japanese maples we have to be concerned with excessive sap flow and wound bleeding. You want to time your HEAVY pruning work for when growth plateaus in the late summer, but before it stops in the fall. Though I would probably still be ok (in North Carolina) I think you are a little late (in Maine). This is for BEST timing. But as long as you do your work after new growth hardens in the spring, and two months before it ends in the fall, you should be ok. Make sure you seal the wound edges, and do not heavily water the tree prior to the work.

As far as your second question goes (decrease healing time) this is simply a function (in my opinion) of making sure you have a concave wound, cutting the edges of the wound with a razor, sealing the wound carefully, and then increasing the tree's vascular demand above the wound site.
 

LanceMac10

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undertaker-mankind.gif Best part about a cage match is they don't spend a lot of time "in it"... :D :D :D :D :D :D

Still hitting mid eighties, sap is coming but not yet.....though 41 is chilly. Did some HEAVY work around a month ago on a Kashima....already leafed out. Early mid August JM branches are bone dry.

Trees here still building winter reserves, probably into October. I don't worry about the sugary winter sap to start flowing until then.
 

Bonsai Nut

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@Bonsai Nut, would you give the same advice for trident maples? Thanks!
For heavy pruning, yes. Note that keep saying "heavy pruning" - these are big cuts and big wounds. You are waiting for growth to slow, but not stop, while still giving the tree plenty of time to seal off the wound before winter.

We're not talking about minor branch trimming, minor developmental pruning, or any of the work you would do to develop ramification (pinching, etc).
 
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I agree with Bonsai Nut. Maples respond best to large cuts in June. You can cut the last few terminal pairs off now to prevent more extension, but cutting in June and using wound putty, not any other kind of sealant, works the best.
 

yashu

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Well… the deed is done. I’m blaming @LanceMac10 when these damn things die on me now😂. Since I’m attempting to keep these on the smaller side the wounds are not huge and the sacrifices have served their purpose for this season. 3E530FD4-CE33-422A-9FFB-90CD607D2B6C.jpeg
 

LanceMac10

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I agree with Bonsai Nut. Maples respond best to large cuts in June. You can cut the last few terminal pairs off now to prevent more extension, but cutting in June and using wound putty, not any other kind of sealant, works the best.

Depends on the response your looking to get. Cut a big sacrifice here in June and you'll have a preponderance of budding adjacent to the cut site...is that what you want?

Cutting a sacrifice here in the time-frame I mentioned will give some healing and no/very little budding at said site....

Well… the deed is done. I’m blaming @LanceMac10 when these damn things die on me now😂. Since I’m attempting to keep these on the smaller side the wounds are not huge and the sacrifices have served their purpose for this season. View attachment 454355

I think the tree won't even notice. :cool:
 

yashu

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You show a picture of what you cut off, but not of the trees themselves?
Not much to see since they’re in development. I’ll take some pics tomorrow.
 

yashu

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First pic is a before shot (with my little koto hime between them). The Kashima will be broom style and the sacrificial branch was grown to help develop the nebari and speed up the repair from some “chicken damage” (long story). The Amur is being developed as informal upright and the sacrifice helped gain some trunk girth this season as it was barely a twig last spring. This one got a fairly significant prune as well to clear up some wayward branches.F9B498DC-3497-4357-9968-131D4193CDC9.jpegDE1F045C-7A8E-4A4E-8849-5B7CB40D6D62.jpeg962E24F6-8D43-42BD-BA75-4DBA424C1C81.jpeg
I’m trying to get the “bones” of the trees to a passable shohin size in a few seasons and then start working on some ramification and finer development.
 
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