How to prune japanese maple 'dissectum'

Late dormancy: late January to early March, before buds break; minor dead-tip removal acceptable in midsummer. Raise the canopy skirt so branches clear the ground by at least 15 cm. Remove dead, crossing, or rubbing branches back to the collar. Use 'shell pruning' to thin from the interior outward, preserving a full outer veil of foliage that protects trunks from sunscald. Never head-cut the weeping tips.

Annually for skirt and dead-wood removal; interior thinning every 2–3 years. Dissectum laceleaf Japanese maples are sculpted rather than heavily pruned. The weeping form is best maintained by thinning to reveal trunk structure, lifting the skirt off the ground, and removing dead wood. Shell pruning — working through the canopy in layers — helps preserve the plant's characteristic dome shape.

Raise the canopy skirt so branches clear the ground by at least 15 cm. Remove dead, crossing, or rubbing branches back to the collar. Use 'shell pruning' to thin from the interior outward, preserving a full outer veil of foliage that protects trunks from sunscald. Never head-cut the weeping tips.