That is a BEAUTIFUL tree!. Japanese maples often are pruned asymmetrically, or grow that way,and I would not do a thing. I think you will find it even looks more "strange" once that bottom branch is gone.

MJH

Hi,
I agree, leave it alone. Maples bud back a lot and chances are some new lower branches will start and balance it off. They grow more quickly than you might think and the tree will look much better with lower branching.
Steve

Thank you MJH & Steve.

I REALLY didn't want to go messing around with the tree either.

I feel Very Fortunate that it is doing as well as it is. Are Japanese maples 'really' as hard to take care of as people seem to think?

MC

I was sure I'd kill my Japanese maples, but they're thriving without anything but water. Could be because they're all located well, sheltered from the wind and too much direct sun. In any case, if they can do well in my yard, I'm sure they'll do well in yours.

Your tree is gorgeous! I have to admit, I'd tempted to lose that bottom branch. I did some nip & tuck of our Bloodgood the week after it arrived. But then, I was dead-set on having a tree with a strong central trunk. So many Japanese maples end up looking more like a huge shrub. And ours felt particularly unbalanced, what, with that bottom branch all swooping down like that. So I pruned two bottom branches and wired up two others. Some people may prefer the before...
{{gwi:1042011}}

...but I'm thrilled with the after.
{{gwi:1042013}}

Oh my gosh, girlwithasprin .. I think that you have made my Better Half's Day!

Those are Exactly the same thoughts that she has. She also wants a Tree and not a bush.

Her idea is that the trunk will thicken and the top will bush out more.

WE LOVE that tree of yours too!!

MC

BTW girlwithaspirin, sorry for spelling your name wrong in my other post.

You brought up something in your post that has been bothering me .. Wind?

I have read about the Wind thing before and I have been wondering .. What Kind Of Wind bothers these guys?

My back yard is a Virtual Forest but unless I were to actually build a wall around the maple .. There is No way to eliminate the wind completely?

MC

MC, I'm so glad to have brightened her day. I hope I didn't ruin yours. ;)

What your better half wants is exactly what's happened with our tree. It's gotten much fuller (wish I had pictures from this year!) and no new branches have appeared lower on the trunk. I was just careful not to prune too much at the bottom because I didn't want the lollipop look -- too much trunk and then a big poof of leaves.

I agree with mjh that Japanese maples are often asymmetrical -- but yours is so beautifully symmetrical *except* for that one (or two?) low-growing branches. I don't think it'll look strange at all without them.

If you decide to give it a go, it's really quite easy. Buy some new hand pruners. You want them sharp and clean. Nip the branch off very close to the trunk, but not so close that you're cutting into the trunk. That's it! It'll be fine, and I believe with these guys, you can prune any time of year, as long as you're not going to town on it.

As for wind: Up here, where the winter wind can be brutal, the prevailing theory is to situate Japanese maples against a house or fence, to protect them from the Northwest winds. You shouldn't have nearly the same problem in Virginia.

I wanted to add one something. After I pruned my tree, I looked at the "wounds" and thought, oh no, that doesn't look good. With the fresh wood in such contrast to the gray trunk, it looked like it'd been shot! Not to worry, the wood will heal itself, and you won't notice where you pruned anymore.