QuestionI have recently purchased a home with two nice maple trees in the front yard, I think that they are silver maples but I'm not for sure. I believe that they are 10 to 15 years old. The trees have never been pruned and have some low hanging branches. My question is now that they are budding out can I prune the branches without hurting the trees? I was also wondering about spraying the cut limbs with a small amount of spray paint to stop possible disease? Any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated.
Tom Dailey
Hubbardston Mi
4-9-10
Answer Choose when you're going to prune. Since maple trees bleed sap when their branches are cut, the best time to prune is when the leaves have fully matured around late June or early July. At this time, there will be less sap.
Remove all dead or dying branches. Do this before you start cutting live branches; it will give you a better idea of what your tree looks like and how many of the live branches you're going to need to cut.
Decide which branches you're going to cut before you start cutting. There are some that will be more susceptible to breaking. Look for large branches growing at narrow angles to the main trunk, branches that are rubbing others or branches that are growing inwards and crossing others.
Remove the larger branches. To do this, make the first cut all the way through the branch, at least a foot from the main tree trunk. Use two cuts; the first should begin underneath the branch and go upwards, with the second starting on the top and going down to meet the first. With the weight gone, you can finish cutting the remainder of the branch without struggling with the extra length of the branch. To keep the bark from peeling, remove the stub of the branch with a single cut going down and away from the tree trunk.
When pruning larger branches, make sure you don't leave a stub. Leaving the stub can invite rot and disease. Always trim back to the main trunk or one of the larger lateral branches. When pruning some of the smaller branches, cut back to a bud. When cutting back to a bud, cut at a slight angle above the bud. This will speed the healing process.
Thin some of the smaller branches. Use your best judgment. You're trying to increase the amount of light that gets through the foliage while maintaining the tree's natural shape. For mature maple trees, you shouldn't need to remove too many of these branches.
If the branch is larger than 4 inches in diameter at the trunk then I would use a wound dressing. For most wounds this i not recommended since the dressing can slow down the healing process.
