When is the best time of year to remove "LIVE" limbs from a maple tree?

[jwholey]

When is the best time of year to remove "LIVE" limbs from a maple tree? I live in the North East... New York to be exact.

 

[Jay Banks]

I like to wait until after leaf out(later spring here in VA). Maple's have a heavy sap flow when pruned in early spring. Although this does not "hurt" the tree it does make people nervous. They think the tree will "bleed" to death.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

To add to Jays "leaf out" statement; wait a few weeks after the leaves are full sized. This will allow the tree to replenish the reserves expended in pushing out the new growth.

Lopping off a number of low branches is not always the best thing for a tree either. Reducing their size may be better.

Here is a search on proper pruning.

http://search.dogpile.com/texis/search?q=proper+pruning&geo=no&fs=web

 

[jwholey]

Thanks for the info... Actually, I'm pruning higher branhes to let some sun into the yard (too much shade/moss). Any suggestions? thx.

 

[Jay Banks]

Please be carful on the amount you prune off. Remember you can always take a branch off next year if you have any doubt. I don't like taking any more than a quarter of the canopy if I really need to clean up a structurally poor tree.

 

[jwholey]

Thanks for the info... Actually, I'm pruning higher branhes to let some sun into the yard (too much shade/moss). Any suggestions? thx.

 

[treeman82]

Where in New York are you at?

 

[jwholey]

I live in Stony Point, New York... the garden spot of New York... ha ha ha

 

[treeman82]

If that is so, then please take Martha Stewart to her appropriate location. j/k