Question
My mom lives in northern KY & has a Japanese maple bush about 2 1/2 ft tall & abt 4 ft wide.  It's in good shape but it wasn't trimmed last fall.  Is it ok to do it now? On This Old House I saw how to open up the bush and remove a piece of branch here & there but I don't remember where to make the cut.  Also I want to trim around the perimeter. We are awaiting the cicada invasion.
Can you help?
Thanks,  Barb

Answer
Barb. you can trim the maple almost any time, so you should be OK right now. most of the time you want to cut at the branch joint, so you dont have a branch end just kind of sticking out. You may also trim for shape at any time, usually with a hedge sheer works. Not sure of the type, but if it flowers with showy flowers, (some maples have better flowers than others), then wait untill after it flowers, otherwise you wont see any. Also, I am not sure what, if any effect the Cicada invasion will have on the plant, do Cicadas eat the maples? we do not get them here in MN, and cannot grow a Japanese maple here (well, some we can, but most we cannot, and the ones we can usually die in the winter)wish we had more shrub forms of maples, but glad we dont have the Cicadas.

Thanks

Happy Gardening

Mark