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Acer pruning - how to tell whats dead or not?

#1 · 22nd February 2023, 4:29 pm

Hi there

I'd appreciate some guidance for caring for my Acer. I'll attach a bunch of pictures below.

I'd like to know if my Acer is ok or not. It has got a lot of seemingly dead branches. The pictures below are after I cut a good 10 small to medium size branches from the middle of it which is why the middle looks a little naked. However, it seems like there are far too many dead-looking branches. Is it fair to assume that a branch is dead as soon as it goes lighter? Also how about some of the more light green-looking branches? Could you also zoom in the picture at the top of the Acer and let me know if they are all dead or not? The top seems like a tangled mess and I don't know what to do with it.

Should I wait for spring to do more pruning, once I know for sure that a branch is dead?

Uploaded files:

#2 · 23rd February 2023, 2:01 pm

Hi @pouryas

Great question about acer pruning. New gardeners can get so confused with pruning but don't worry. I'll give you the basics to help prune your acer.

The first thing to bare in mind with pruning acers is that they are super slow growing. So it's best to always prune tentatively rather than hard prune as it takes them years to recover. Little here and there is best.

How to prune acers:

Pruning acer trees is super easy, given they rarely need huge amounts of pruning, given how slow they grow. I always try and sympathetically prune mine to have a tiered look with evenly spaced branches on each side.

Follow the advice below and watch my guide to see how to prune an acer correctly.

Always prune acers in winter when they are dormant
Using sharp clean secateurs, cut out any damaged, dead or diseased wood (known as the three d's)
You can spot dead wood as it turns dark brown and is brittle - if you flex it the dead branches will shatter or snap easily.
Cut at a 45 degree angle just above an outward facing bud
Theres no need to seal wounds or feed the plant afterwards - it will heal naturally

My advice would be to wait until spring and see which branches bud. This will then identify the dead branches to make it easier to know what to remove. You can remove these dead acer branches in spring without harm as they are already dead/dormant.

When to prune acers?

We always want to prune deciduous trees like acers in the winter when they are asleep. We cut the living branches in winter when dormant as the sap has lowered and it's less stressful for the tree. Winter pruning also heals faster and has less chance of infection compared to the middle of summer when the tree would bleed.

Hope that helps.