From Newsgroup: uk.d-i-y


I am in the process of the annual cull of the shrubs cutting back on this
years growth. I have an Acer that is mainly top growth and I was wondering
how far I can cut back to get growth in the bottom. Unfortunately NewsTap
is playing up and I cannot include a link to a photo. I know with privet
you can cut back almost to the ground and it will recover but when domestic management did that to a Firethorn we lost it.

Anyone familiar with Acers and can advise

Richard

PS

Managed to post a link in Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k0xufbqdhwon4pywd3ek8/2025-10-15-11.44.03.jpg?rlkey=h9fhi6gorlslc41twtikak415&st=74k27wtl&dl=0

Richard
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From Newsgroup: uk.d-i-y

On 15/10/2025 12:25, Tricky Dicky wrote:

I am in the process of the annual cull of the shrubs cutting back on this years growth. I have an Acer that is mainly top growth and I was wondering how far I can cut back to get growth in the bottom. Unfortunately NewsTap
is playing up and I cannot include a link to a photo. I know with privet
you can cut back almost to the ground and it will recover but when domestic management did that to a Firethorn we lost it.

Anyone familiar with Acers and can advise

Richard

PS

Managed to post a link in Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k0xufbqdhwon4pywd3ek8/2025-10-15-11.44.03.jpg?rlkey=h9fhi6gorlslc41twtikak415&st=74k27wtl&dl=0

Not sure I understand - where is the "top growth" you are referring to?
That picture is of an acer (possibly a Shirasawanum cultivar) which
seems pretty "bushy" to me. Looks like the upright growth was pruned
back not too long ago.

Anyway, FWIW, you can prune acers pretty hard when they're dormant,
usually between November and February. If you prune them while they're
in growth, they can "bleed" a bit. I have a big Acer palmatum cultivar
(4 x 4 metres) which I prune back now and again. In fact I've just
pruned back a couple of branches by about a metre as they were getting
in the way. It didn't seem to do any damage.
--
Jeff
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From Newsgroup: uk.d-i-y

Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:

On 15/10/2025 12:25, Tricky Dicky wrote:

I am in the process of the annual cull of the shrubs cutting back on this
years growth. I have an Acer that is mainly top growth and I was wondering >> how far I can cut back to get growth in the bottom. Unfortunately NewsTap
is playing up and I cannot include a link to a photo. I know with privet
you can cut back almost to the ground and it will recover but when domestic >> management did that to a Firethorn we lost it.

Anyone familiar with Acers and can advise

Richard

PS

Managed to post a link in Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k0xufbqdhwon4pywd3ek8/2025-10-15-11.44.03.jpg?rlkey=h9fhi6gorlslc41twtikak415&st=74k27wtl&dl=0

Not sure I understand - where is the "top growth" you are referring to?
That picture is of an acer (possibly a Shirasawanum cultivar) which
seems pretty "bushy" to me. Looks like the upright growth was pruned
back not too long ago.

Anyway, FWIW, you can prune acers pretty hard when they're dormant,
usually between November and February. If you prune them while they're
in growth, they can "bleed" a bit. I have a big Acer palmatum cultivar
(4 x 4 metres) which I prune back now and again. In fact I've just
pruned back a couple of branches by about a metre as they were getting
in the way. It didn't seem to do any damage.

Thanks for the reply Jeff. Yes as you observed I have already pruned back a
lot of the top growth to where I know from experience was safe to do so. At
the back I am left with a number of bare branches about 1.2m tall which if
left will simply bud and leaf at the top again. At the front again some branches about the same height but as you can see did leaf lower down if a little sparse. I want to try to get some leaf lower down. So the question
is how far down can I cut the branches without killing off the shrub.

Richard
--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.d-i-y

On 15/10/2025 16:32, Tricky Dicky wrote:

Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:

On 15/10/2025 12:25, Tricky Dicky wrote:

I am in the process of the annual cull of the shrubs cutting back on this >>> years growth. I have an Acer that is mainly top growth and I was wondering >>> how far I can cut back to get growth in the bottom. Unfortunately NewsTap >>> is playing up and I cannot include a link to a photo. I know with privet >>> you can cut back almost to the ground and it will recover but when domestic >>> management did that to a Firethorn we lost it.

Anyone familiar with Acers and can advise

Richard

PS

Managed to post a link in Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k0xufbqdhwon4pywd3ek8/2025-10-15-11.44.03.jpg?rlkey=h9fhi6gorlslc41twtikak415&st=74k27wtl&dl=0

Not sure I understand - where is the "top growth" you are referring to?
That picture is of an acer (possibly a Shirasawanum cultivar) which
seems pretty "bushy" to me. Looks like the upright growth was pruned
back not too long ago.

Anyway, FWIW, you can prune acers pretty hard when they're dormant,
usually between November and February. If you prune them while they're
in growth, they can "bleed" a bit. I have a big Acer palmatum cultivar
(4 x 4 metres) which I prune back now and again. In fact I've just
pruned back a couple of branches by about a metre as they were getting
in the way. It didn't seem to do any damage.

Thanks for the reply Jeff. Yes as you observed I have already pruned back a lot of the top growth to where I know from experience was safe to do so. At the back I am left with a number of bare branches about 1.2m tall which if left will simply bud and leaf at the top again. At the front again some branches about the same height but as you can see did leaf lower down if a little sparse. I want to try to get some leaf lower down. So the question
is how far down can I cut the branches without killing off the shrub.

Richard

Prune lightly after leaves have dropped (aren't they nice and red
right now ?) and don't remove too much, Avoid removing more than 20-30%
of the crown. More on the RHS website

--- Synchronet 3.21a-Linux NewsLink 1.2

From Newsgroup: uk.d-i-y

On 15/10/2025 16:32, Tricky Dicky wrote:

Jeff Layman <Jeff@invalid.invalid> wrote:

On 15/10/2025 12:25, Tricky Dicky wrote:

I am in the process of the annual cull of the shrubs cutting back on this >>> years growth. I have an Acer that is mainly top growth and I was wondering >>> how far I can cut back to get growth in the bottom. Unfortunately NewsTap >>> is playing up and I cannot include a link to a photo. I know with privet >>> you can cut back almost to the ground and it will recover but when domestic >>> management did that to a Firethorn we lost it.

Anyone familiar with Acers and can advise

Richard

PS

Managed to post a link in Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k0xufbqdhwon4pywd3ek8/2025-10-15-11.44.03.jpg?rlkey=h9fhi6gorlslc41twtikak415&st=74k27wtl&dl=0

Not sure I understand - where is the "top growth" you are referring to?
That picture is of an acer (possibly a Shirasawanum cultivar) which
seems pretty "bushy" to me. Looks like the upright growth was pruned
back not too long ago.

Anyway, FWIW, you can prune acers pretty hard when they're dormant,
usually between November and February. If you prune them while they're
in growth, they can "bleed" a bit. I have a big Acer palmatum cultivar
(4 x 4 metres) which I prune back now and again. In fact I've just
pruned back a couple of branches by about a metre as they were getting
in the way. It didn't seem to do any damage.

Thanks for the reply Jeff. Yes as you observed I have already pruned back a lot of the top growth to where I know from experience was safe to do so. At the back I am left with a number of bare branches about 1.2m tall which if left will simply bud and leaf at the top again. At the front again some branches about the same height but as you can see did leaf lower down if a little sparse. I want to try to get some leaf lower down. So the question
is how far down can I cut the branches without killing off the shrub.

I doubt you will kill the plant as it is possible to pollard acers.
However, one thing you could try is to stimulate the dormant buds lower
down into growth by making a small slit in the bark a few mm above them.
This cuts off the supply of an inhibitor hormone from above to the bud,
and the bud will then start to grow as the plant will "think" that the
shoot above the bud has been lost, and so needs to be replaced. If you
want more info, Google something like:
make dormant bud sprout
--
Jeff
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