

This means that the sapling is relatively weak and therefore less able to endure trimming, even in the later spring or summer, because it would likely lose too much sap when pruned, and possibly die.įor this reason, we only recommend starting to prune maple trees once they have reached at least 3 years old, before that is definitely not the best time to prune a maple. Maple trees less than three years old are still considered soft saplings. during the late autumn and winter, it is recommended that the best time to trim maple trees is actually during the late spring or summer.Įven late winter or early spring is a bit of a risky time to prune maples.Īnother important consideration though, is the age of the tree. Sap levels are at their lowest during the late spring and summer months, so, unlike most trees which should generally be pruned at other times, i.e. oak trees and apple trees, most maples, including Manitoba maple trees, can lose particularly large amounts of sap when they are pruned. It stands to reason then that losing too much maple sap when pruned can be detrimental to the overall health of your maple tree.Ĭompared to most other trees, e.g. Sap is, in short, the life blood of a tree, as it transports minerals & nutrients to where they are needed most, at any given time. THE vital element to consider when determining the best time for shape pruning maple trees is Maple sap. Pruning a Mature Large Maple Tree Older Than 10 Years.Step One : Identify and Encourage The Leader.Pruning Young Maple Trees Between 3 and 10 Years Old.Trimming Maple Trees in Fall and Winter.Pruning Maple Trees in Spring or Summer.It is far preferable to prevent detrimental growth trends and avert potential health problems during the formative years, than to try and correct them later on.Īnother incentive for ensuring the correct pruning early on is that Maple trees can grow up to 150 feet tall, so rather get it as right as you can while you can still reach the top yourself, to save paying an arborist for a tree service later! Getting your Maple tree off to a good start, with the correct pruning in the early years, sets up the health and shape of the tree for the rest of its life. One of the most important and effective ways of ensuring a handsome & healthy maple tree is to start pruning it when it is a relatively young tree (but not too young!) so that it can develop a sturdy, single, principal trunk column supporting strong, nicely-spaced branches. Trimming maple trees is beneficial at all stages in the life of a tree, so long as you do it in the correct way at the correct time. They mainly live in bottomland forests.Your naturally beautiful Maple tree, with leaves that turn vibrant colors in the fall, will definitely reward you for everything that you invest in it, in terms of care & attention, through all phases of its life. It flowers between March and April and flowers May through June in winged pairs, what so many lovingly call helicopters. As the tree ages, that silver-grey trunk begins to get darker and flaky. The middle lobe is the longest and the base of the lobe is V-shaped. The leaves are very unique and can range between 2-5 inches long with 3-5 lobes. It has a long trunk with an irregular crown. However, it prefers to grow in moist conditions that are slightly acidic. It is not usually found in the forest and is tolerant of most soils to grow in. They can be found growing between Eastern Canada down to South Florida and all the way east as far as Texas.
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It is a stunning tree that provides a ton of shade and it has the greatest north-south distribution of all tree species along the east coast, according to. Its fall foliage can range from its namesake to yellow or greenish color. They first begin with stunning smooth or silver-grey bark and have very dense roots. They are very popular ornamental trees that can grow between 40 and 60 feet in the wild! The leaves can vary between 3 and 5 lobed leaves, with lobes that are separated by angles very similar to the letter V. They can also be called Scarlet Maples or Soft Maples. Red maples come from the Aceraceae or Maple family.
