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Trimming a Maple Tree to 8-10ft?

robin 435robin 435 Posts: 53
in Plants
Hello
A neighbour used to have a lovely Maple Tree which grew to over 30+ feet. Unfortunately BT complained that it was about to pull down the phone lines and so she had it cut down.
However one of its seeds landed in my back garden and I now an identical baby tree about 6 feet high.
My question is, once it reaches 8-10ft can I trim it each year, whilst it is dormant, to keep it at that height? Obviously I can trim it, but will that damage the tree or produce unusual growth etc?
Thanks for your advice ☺

Posts

  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,953
    Do you know what type of Maple tree?  Some Maples bleed sap if cut in the winter (depending on the weather).. and do better if pruned once the leaves are fully out.  
    I am assuming you don't have room for a 30ft tree.. so pruning is your only option.  I would start now, before you get up to your ideal height, so that you can create a good structure for a shorter tree.  
    Utah, USA.
  • robin 435robin 435 Posts: 53
    Thanks for your reply, once the leaves appear I'll take a photo and post it here so hopefully someone can identify it, I'll then know the best time of year to prune it.
    From what you say it sounds like I should be able to create a well shaped 10ft tree.
    ☺

  • WaysideWayside Posts: 807
    @Blue Onion
     Is bleeding a concern when cutting native field maple?

    Fighting the natural habit of the tree sounds difficult.  

    My Aunt has a box elder, and it doesn't look brilliant at all after the tree surgeons hacked away at it.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,953
    Wayside - I think we spend the majority of our gardening time 'fighting the natural habit' of many plants in our garden.  It's just about deciding what you feel is 'worth it'.  : ) 
    Utah, USA.
  • WaysideWayside Posts: 807
    Genuinely interested in how to prune maples.  I asked whether it was worth pruning the box elder, and a gardener said to me that maples don't prune well.

    Even the weedy sycamores have a delightful shape and habit.
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,953
    Boxelder sucker prolifically, it's their nature to grow as a small grove.  I have one in my yard I am pruning as a single stem tree with no lower branches.  It means I am constantly battling suckers. (Same with my choke cherry tree).  Pruning out the leader of most maples is far from ideal.. but in the case of this post, it is either prune or remove the tree.  Some maples respond well to pruning.. like the Japanese Acers (another type of maple).  Ideal is the right tree for the right situation.. but that advice is a bit too late for Robin.  
    Utah, USA.
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    Is it a sycamore?
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