Pruning Maple Trees

[locked&loaded]

Hello-
I'm glad to have found this site as it is full of valuable information and knowledgeable people.

I have a handful of maple trees (I believe Norway maple) in my yard. These are beautiful, healthy trees. However, the lower branches are only about 2-feet from the ground, which makes it challenging to mow around. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the health of these trees. Is there any issue or concern with cutting off all the lower branches so the lowest branch is more in the neighborhood of 5-feet from the ground? If this is ok to do, is there a time of year that is best?

Thanks so much in advance for any direction you experts can provide.

 

[Del_]

Norway maples are invasive and should be removed.

Plant better trees.

 

[locked&loaded]

Norway maples are invasive and should be removed.

Plant better trees.

You may need to work on your reading comprehension skills. I didn't ask if they were invasive or if you think I should plant better trees. Perhaps the thread title and actual question threw you off?

 

[Mad Professor]

Norway maples are invasive and should be removed.

Plant better trees.

He asked about the branches......

You may need to work on your reading comprehension skills. I didn't ask if they were invasive or if you think I should plant better trees. Perhaps the thread title and actual question threw you off?

Sometimes Del can't tell the difference, or maybe he's playing the tree race card.

 

[locked&loaded]

Sometimes Del can't tell the difference, or maybe he's playing the tree race card.

Thanks for the chuckle.

 

[Del_]

You may need to work on your reading comprehension skills. I didn't ask if they were invasive or if you think I should plant better trees. Perhaps the thread title and actual question threw you off?

Nothing threw me off.

You want help nurturing invasive trees that are harmful to your local environment.

You don't know how to prune them.

You likely don't know much about them.

Plant trees that are worthy of maintaining.



.

 

[locked&loaded]

Nothing threw me off.

You want help nurturing invasive trees that are harmful to your local environment. Yes, thank you.

You don't know how to prune them. Correct. Which is why I came here looking for some direction.

You likely don't know much about them. Correct. Again, which is why I came to this forum hoping for some friendly recommendation for pruning.

Do away with them. Not a chance.

You must be a big hit at all the arborist parties, Del.

 

[Del_]

You must be a big hit at all the arborist parties, Del.

You don't know what you don't know Mr. Dunning.

.

 

[locked&loaded]

Thanks for referencing the Dunning-Kruger effect. You'd make a good case study regarding being ignorant of your abrasive personality.

 

[locked&loaded]

Fun fact: I posted some tree pictures on a different arborist site and received a bit more friendly reply informing me that what I have are in fact NOT Norway maples. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Del.

 

[locked&loaded]

He doesn't get invited.

Something leads me to believe that Del's only friends are the trees.

 

[Del_]

Fun fact: I posted some tree pictures on a different arborist site and received a bit more friendly reply informing me that what I have are in fact NOT Norway maples. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Del.

What are your trees?

Got some photos?


Either you came here to learn about trees,

or you didn't.

I would guess that you didn't.


.

 

[locked&loaded]

What are your trees? Maples of the non-Norway variety

Got some photos? Yep


Either you came here to learn about trees,

or you didn't.

I would guess that you didn't.

I'm trying to be sensitive to your obvious substandard reading comprehension abilities. I still think my initial question somehow has you confused. I did indeed come here hoping to learn about trees. Please refer to my initial post -- it contains a very clearly stated question that was asked with the primary purpose of learning about how to prune maple trees.

Care to post a helpful reply in response to the actual question posed? If not, I'm patient and can wait for a less salty member to respond.

 

[locked&loaded]

I have a question for you -
If you've already been to a "different arborist site" and posted pictures for them, what did they tell you about pruning your trees?
Why continue searching after you've already received an answer elsewhere?

Del isn't my favorite person, but sometimes he is right.

I only went to another site after the less than cordial reply from Del. I initially guessed at what kind of maples I have in my yard, I didn't plant them so didn't know for certain. I didn't ask my pruning question on the other site. I was just trying to determine what kind of trees I have.

I don't doubt that Del is knowledgeable and correct at times. In fact, I learned from him today that Norway maples are invasive.

I'm headed to a work meeting, but will post pictures of my trees a bit later.

 

[Jed1124]

Hello-
I'm glad to have found this site as it is full of valuable information and knowledgeable people.

I have a handful of maple trees (I believe Norway maple) in my yard. These are beautiful, healthy trees. However, the lower branches are only about 2-feet from the ground, which makes it challenging to mow around. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize the health of these trees. Is there any issue or concern with cutting off all the lower branches so the lowest branch is more in the neighborhood of 5-feet from the ground? If this is ok to do, is there a time of year that is best?

Thanks so much in advance for any direction you experts can provide.

Elevating your trees by removing some of the lower branches with proper pruning cuts will not harm your trees in any way.
Don’t go overboard, just take off enough to allow you to comfortably mow below the trees.
Lower limbs contribute to good trunk taper, so don’t go too high.
Del is a knowledgeable arborist but sometimes gets persnickety regarding invasive species.

 

[BrettS]

Arboristsite is not the place to go to learn how to nurture invasive trees.




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Nor to ask what parts you should build your chainsaw out of, (the anoraks say OEM only) or expect your comments to last long due to removal with those doing the removal citing it ain't sticking to the narrative ....

 

[Mad Professor]

 

[locked&loaded]

Elevating your trees by removing some of the lower branches with proper pruning cuts will not harm your trees in any way.
Don’t go overboard, just take off enough to allow you to comfortably mow below the trees.
Lower limbs contribute to good trunk taper, so don’t go too high.
Del is a knowledgeable arborist but sometimes gets persnickety regarding invasive species.

<added comment not part of original quote was deleted by moderation>​

Thank you. I very much appreciate your response. I've watched a few pruning youtube videos, so I think I'm good on proper technique.

I kind of wish I had one Norway maple in my yard. I'd name it Del as a reminder that both the tree and the man are an abomination.

 

[Del_]

Thank you. I very much appreciate your response. I've watched a few pruning youtube videos, so I think I'm good on proper technique.

I kind of wish I had one Norway maple in my yard. I'd name it Del as a reminder that both the tree and the man are an abomination.

Who would have thunk it.



.

 

[locked&loaded]

Who would have thunk it.

No hard feelings, Del. All in good fun. Thank you for teaching me about Norway maples. Have a good day.