Hi we have several maple trees that are about three years old, I need to know if I should prune off the little branches at the bottom and when should this be done? Thanks!

-- David (nelson3@bright.net), June 22, 2000

Answers

Not to be too much of a wiseacre but maples are such awful weeds that I prune them close to the ground. I mean very close to the ground. Below soil line if possible. They still come back.

-- charles (clb@watervalley.net), June 22, 2000.

David, this time of year is hard on the trees. Best to do it very early in the spring before the sap's up, about the time the snow's pretty well melted away. Second best time would be later in the fall after the leaves have fallen. Do you mean by little branches on the bottom that it sort of looks like a shrub is growing up around the tree? If so, do trim. If your talking about low branches on the trunk, you probably should trim them off just to make it easier to be around the trees when they're grown. How many of them to trim at a time is a judgement call. Don't be so frisky trimming them that they won't have enough leaves to support the tree. Since they're only 3 years old, do a bit every spring. Gerbil

-- Geribl (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), June 23, 2000.

Well, no one has mentioned where they have built their nests, but we obviously have at least one Confederate. Here in Maine, a maple is to be cherished, unless you are talking swamp maples or some other useless life form indigenous to the South. A sugar maple is a wonderful tree, and will provide (once it has at least an 8" diameter at breast height ((Careful, Tracy!)) enough sap in the spring for a little real maple syrup/sugar. I would not attempt pruning until the tree reaches at least 20' in height. Then, only if it is growing in a poor direction. Maples are usually pretty maintenance free. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), June 27, 2000.

Not so much an answer as a question, I have one Sugar Maple about 3 yrs old which is a fork. I want it to be one trunk. Should I wait to cut one off for a while, or do it this winter? (Currently, the tree is about 10ft, and was transplanted last winter)

As far as pruning trees: My favorite is my father-in-law's instructions for apple trees: "Trim until you can throw a cat through it." (Live, or dead, I don't know.....:-)

-- Dan (dconine@dotnet.com), June 29, 2000.